NFL community rallying around Damar Hamlin by donating to his toy drive

NFL fans from around the league are opening their wallets to support Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who collapsed on the field following a cardiac event on Monday Night Football. Hamlin has organized a toy drive as his charitable endeavor since entering the league, and donations have been pouring in to the verified GoFundMe account.

With a stated goal of $2,500, more than $650,000 and counting had been raised since the initial moments following Hamlin’s injury. The number quickly surpassed $1 million on Monday night, and has surpassed $3 million as of early Tuesday morning.

“As I embark on my journey to the NFL, I will never forget where I come from and I am committed to using my platform to positively impact the community that raised me. I created The Chasing M’s Foundation as a vehicle that will allow me to deliver that impact, and the first program is the 2020 Community Toy Drive,” Hamlin’s statement on the foundation reads.

Originally begun during the pandemic, this GoFundMe page is still a direct line to Hamlin’s charity in Pennsylvania. Hamlin is from the Pittsburgh area, went to high school there, and chose to stay and play his college ball at Pitt.

Celebrities and NFL teams are retweeting the link, and the reputation of Bills Mafia as a giving fanbase is being returned to one of our own. Obviously, our thoughts and prayers are with Hamlin during this time, and you can donate now using this link.

GoFundMe reached out to SB Nation and said, “our team is doing everything to ensure this money gets to Damar’s foundation”.

[Ed note: this article has been updated to reflect that donations will go to Hamlin’s foundation and not Hamlin personally.]