Max Woosey raised RM3.82 million for a hospice after he camped out at his house garden for 599 nights. — Picture via Instagram/ the_boy_in_the_tent
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 23 — A 12-year-old boy from Devon, UK raised GBP680,000 (RM3.82 million) for a hospice after he camped out at his house garden for 599 nights.
Max Woosey started camping out in March 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic took hold in the UK, BBC reported.
Max was said to have been inspired to raise money for the North Devon Hospice, for the care that it gave to his neighbour Rick Abbott.
The 74-year-old gave Max a tent and told him to “promise me you’ll have an adventure in here”, before dying from cancer.
Max’s father, Mark, said the family was “blown away” by the amount raised.
“The work that they do is amazing,” he said of the hospice.
Mark added it had been “a joy” to see his son mature and grow with the experience of his fundraising.
The hospice’s communications officer Leo Cooper said they were facing funds shortage due to the lockdown.
“I cannot over-emphasise how important his fundraising has been,” he said of Max’s effort.
“At lockdown we were looking at the prospect of losing GBP1m (RM5.6 million), that adds up to a whole lot of care that we cannot provide and it was needed, especially during the lockdown,” he said.
Cooper added that the money raised was equivalent to almost 20 nurses working for 12 months.
Max’s fundraising won him the Spirit of Adventure award after it was marked at the Pride of Britain awards.