A London man has completed a year-long effort to hit 50,000 golf balls, using the symbolic number to draw attention to Palestinians killed in the Gaza war. David Knoppert, a 74-year-old retired pharmacist, began the project last summer with a goal of hitting 50,000 golf balls. On Saturday, Knoppert hit the final 1,000 balls at Fairways Golf Centre on Fanshawe Park Road West, completing the challenge in 56 minutes and 12 seconds. His wife and friends were by his side as he finished the final stretch. “I wanted to do something. The situation in Gaza right now is terrible and we need to help those people. It’s unbelievable. So that’s why I’m doing it,” Knoppert said. The number 50,000 was chosen last year as a symbolic representation of the Palestinians killed in Gaza since the war began on Oct. 7, 2023. The actual reported death toll has since risen significantly. As of mid-September 2026, at least 73,783 Palestinians had been reported killed in Gaza, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. The figure has been cited by humanitarian agencies and international media, although the United Nations says the reported casualty figures have not been independently verified in full. Knoppert also used the golf challenge to raise money for Connecting Gaza, a Canadian-based organization he says provides monthly financial assistance to 27 families in Gaza to help them purchase food and shelter. For Knoppert, the challenge was intended to turn a personal passion for golf into an effort to raise awareness and support for people affected by the conflict.
