In the wake of Damar Hamlin's frightening on-field collapse and cardiac arrest during the Buffalo Bills' Monday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, fans all over the world have come together to rally around Hamlin and his family as he remains in critical condition at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
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There's no greater example of that than the 24-year-old Bills player's GoFundMe, a toy drive specifically for children impacted by the 2020 coronavirus pandemic and sponsored by his Chasing M's Foundation. The drive was originally started with a goal of $2,500 in 2020 in the city Hamlin grew up in, McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania.
In the days since Hamlin collapsed after tackling Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, the drive has raised millions of dollars. Notables such as Tom Brady, Russell Wilson and plenty more have contributed to it, making this a truly remarkable instance of the league coming together to offer support in any way it can. Here's how you can contribute to his GoFundMe, plus how much it's raised thus far.
How to Donate to Damar Hamlin's GoFundMe
Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images
This is the link to Damar Hamlin's GoFundMe. It's the only official place to donate to Hamlin's drive and support his current fight as he remains hospitalized. Hamlin's marketing representative, Jordon Rooney, confirmed the link. So did GoFundMe's official Twitter account.
"This fundraiser was initially established to support a toy drive for Damar's community, sponsored by the Chasing M's Foundation. However, it has received renewed support in light of Damar's current battle and we can't thank all of you enough. Your generosity and compassion mean the world to us," Hamlin's GoFundMe page reads in an update."As representatives of Damar, the team at Jaster Athletes posted the fundraiser updates and will work with the Hamlin family, The Chasing M's Foundation, and the GoFundMe team to ensure the safe delivery of funds. Damar created The Chasing M's Foundation to use as a vehicle to bring lasting impact to his community. The foundation supports toy drives, back-to-school drives, kids camps, and more. We're hopeful about Damar's future involvement in disbursing the incredibly generous contributions."This is the only current fund that is being used by the Hamlin Family. We appreciate your understanding as we give them the time and space they need to focus on Damar's health first. Again, thank you for your thoughts, prayers and support during this time."
Damar Hamlin's GoFundMe Has Raised Millions
Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images
As of 2 p.m. ET Wednesday, the drive raised $6,491,030 from more than 209,000 different donors, by far surpassing the original 2020 goal of $2,500.
The donations began to pour in Monday night and haven't stopped. Hamlin collapsed at 8:55 p.m. ET. At 9:25 p.m., the entire Bills team prayed as the ambulance drove off the field. By 10:05 p.m., Hamlin's GoFundMe had well over $180,000 in donations from nearly 10,000 donors.
A screenshot from Damar Hamlin's GoFundMe page on Monday night at 10:05 p.m. ET.
Bills fans are known to be some of the most generous in sports. They flooded Andy Dalton's foundation with hundreds of thousands of dollars after the then-Bengals quarterback beat the Baltimore Ravens and helped send the Bills to their first postseason in 17 years back in 2018. They did the same when Lamar Jackson suffered a concussion against the Bills in 2021 and when Tua Tagovailoa suffered one this season.
As we've found out in the past few days, Bills fans aren't the only ones donating to Hamlin's cause.
Tom Brady, Russell Wilson, Michael Phelps and More Have Contributed
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The people who've donated to Hamlin's GoFundMe aren't just limited to fans. They include NFL stars, former players, coaches, media members, teams, owners and even the most decorated Olympian of all time. Many are choosing to add $3 on the end of their donation to honor Hamlin's No. 3 jersey number.
The top donation is currently from Jim Irsay and the Indianapolis Colts for $25,003. According to the page's list, other NFL teams/owners who have donated include Robert Kraft and the New England Patriots for $18,003, the Houston Texans for $10,003, and the Washington Commanders for $5,000.
NFL players who have donated include Matthew Stafford ($12,000); Russell Wilson and his wife, Ciara Wilson ($10,000); Tom Brady ($10,000); Davante Adams and his wife, Devanne Villarreal ($5,000); Andy Dalton and his wife, JJ Dalton ($3,000); and Devin and Jason McCourty, who each donated $2,000.
Damar Hamlin’s GoFundMe Page is nearly at $5.5M, with donations from endless NFL people. On these pages alone: Andy Dalton and his wife at $3K, Russell Wilson and his wife at $10K plus their charity, Tom Brady, Josh McDaniels, Commanders. On and on. https://t.co/cM1lhPv27c pic.twitter.com/SnLONebY2w
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 4, 2023
Other notables include Adam Schefter ($1,003), Shannon Sharpe ($2,500), Ryan Leaf ($2,500), Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels ($2,500), Michael Phelps ($2,000) and the New Era Cap Foundation ($10,003).
Please note this is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of who's donated, and every donation no matter the size is important.
