If the dire situation surrounding Damar Hamlin is any hope, it’s coming straight from the Buffalo Bills Safety’s two-year GoFundMe.
Two days after Hamlin’s collapse and hospitalization caused the disruption of a Monday Night Football game, his only available public fundraiser has totaled $7 million. Founded to fund a toy drive in his hometown of McKees Rocks, Pa., GoFundMe’s original goal was $2,500.
Over 220,000 people have donated to the cause.
Hamlin’s reps updated the GoFundMe page on Wednesday and said they were “impressed” by the “support and generosity” shown over the past two days. They pledged to keep updating the fundraiser and said they were “hopeful about Damar’s future involvement.”
We are simply overwhelmed by the support and generosity we have seen over the past two days. With over $6 million raised, this fundraiser has become an overnight reminder of the incredible nature of humankind. Their actions directly reflect the type of person that Damar himself is.
Representing Damar, the Jaster Athletes team has released the fundraiser updates and will be working with the Hamlin family, Chasing M’s Foundation and the GoFundMe team to ensure the safe delivery of funds.
As the situation evolves, we will continue to share any fundraiser updates. We will also be working with GoFundMe to email all donors with further details on how the funds will be used once these details are available. As you can imagine, this has been a challenging time for the family. We appreciate your understanding as we give them the time and space they need to focus on Damar’s health first.
We are hopeful for Damar’s future involvement in paying out the incredibly generous contributions. Thank you again for your support and we look forward to updating you along the way.
Hamlin showed “signs of improvement” on Tuesday and overnight through Wednesday, the Bills announced.
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GoFundMe also updated Tuesday, acknowledging the circumstances and thanking all donors for their support. The update stated that the new money would go to “Damar’s community initiatives and his current fight”:
This fundraiser was originally created to support a toy drive for Damar’s community sponsored by the Chasing M’s Foundation.
However, given Damar’s current struggle, it has once again received support and we cannot thank you all enough. Your generosity and compassion mean the world to us.
If you want to show your support and contribute to Damar’s community initiatives and current struggle, this is the place to do it. This is the only current fund used by the Hamlin family.
Thank you again for your thoughts, prayers and generous support during this time.
Damar created the Chasing M’s Foundation to use as a vehicle to make a lasting impact on his community. The foundation supports toy rides, back-to-school rides, kids’ camps, and more.
One of the largest donations, at $3,000, came under the name of New Orleans Saints quarterback Andy Dalton and his wife Jordan, who received hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations from Bills fans in 2018 when Andy’s Cincinnati Bengals helped win a pitch in the playoffs for Buffalo.
Other names on the top donation list include Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay with $25,003, Patriots owner Robert Kraft with a $18,003 donation, Tom Brady with $10,000, Russell Wilson and Ciara with $10,000 and Matthew Stafford with $12,000, as well as names like Devin McCourty and Jason McCourty, Andrew Whitworth, Erin Andrews, Brian Hoyer, Chris Jericho, Ahmad Gardner, Sean McVay, Mike Evans, Davante Adams, Shannon Sharpe, Mac Jones, Drake London, Michael Phelps and George Kittle.
Damar Hamlin remains in critical condition after suffering cardiac arrest on the field
Damar Hamlin remains hospitalized after suffering cardiac arrest during the Buffalo Bills Monday Night Football game. (Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
On Tuesday, Hamlin was hospitalized in Cincinnati after suffering cardiac arrest in the first quarter of Bill’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The 24-year-old was hit in the chest in a collision with Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins and collapsed after getting up.
The haunting scene saw players from both teams gather around Hamlin as he received CPR, as people across the sporting world expressed shock and support for an athlete who was only two years out of college. Play was temporarily suspended after Hamlin was rushed off the field by ambulance and then indefinitely postponed.
The NFL later announced that the Bills-Bengals game would not resume this week without a week 18 schedule change.
The Bills announced Tuesday morning that Hamlin is in critical condition at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center after his heartbeat was restored on the field, while the player’s family released a statement thanking fans for their support as well thanked first responders and hospital staff.
Hamlin, a sixth-round pick from Pittsburgh in the 2021 NFL draft, rose to starting status this year after a season-ending injury to All-Pro Micah Hyde. In 15 games from 13 starts, he totaled 91 tackles, six tackles for losses, two passes defended and 1.5 sacks.