Of all the residents at Oak Bay’s Carlton House retirement home, John Hillman might be the most famous.
“I have an awful lot of friends that I don’t even know,” laughs the 103 -year-old.
Hillman gained that popularity when he vowed to walk 101 laps around the Carlton House courtyard for his 101st birthday in the spring of 2020.
The Second World War veteran managed to raise over $160,000 for Save the Children Canada, far surpassing his fundraising goal of $101,000.
“It was a very successful effort, in fact, it was quite an unexpected effort,” says Hillman.
“I thought it would take ages [to reach $101,000], but it didn’t, it just happened in 35 laps and we reached the target.”
Last year Hillman took to the court again, walking 102 laps during the height of a searing heatwave and mourning the loss of his wife to raise even more money, bumping his overall fundraising total to nearly $215,000.
Now for his 103rd birthday, Hillman will try to complete 103 laps over the course of 10 days, inspired by the millions of children displaced by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“All of these children have been taken away from their own country and into various other countries and what hope have they got,” says Hillman.
“I think it’s an absolutely diabolical situation that they’re facing anyway, so the more help we can give them the better.”
Hillman will start the first of his 103 laps May 2. To donate to the fundraiser, visit Hillman’s fundraising page.
Cole Sorenson
