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Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin continued his tour of Major League Baseball stadiums Monday, July 3, ceremoniously throwing out the first pitch ahead of the New York Yankees’ game against the Baltimore Orioles.
Hamlin was in New York to help the Yankees kick off the 14th edition of the organization’s HOPE Week. Along with certified CPR instructors, Hamlin visited Yankees Stadium as part of his Chasing M’s Foundation Charitable Fund multi-city endeavor this summer to provide CPR training and access to life-saving AEDs. The initiative helped educate Yankees players and NYC Public School Athletics League personnel on the life-saving methods that Hamlin himself was the beneficiary of after suffering cardiac arrest on the field during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The HOPE Week Initiative runs from July 3-7, and was established both to spread encouragement through acts of goodwill and to generate awareness for special causes and organizations.
As noted in an article by Bobby Kownack for NFL.com, Hamlin’s lifelong goal has been to make a positive impact to help change the world for the better:
“It’s a crazy feeling,” Hamlin said. “It makes me feel like I’m doing my part and making an impact of changing the world. That’s been my goal for my entire life. Before any of you probably even knew me, I had my eye set on making an impact on the world someway, somehow. I didn’t know how it would be, but I’m fine with this platform, and I’m fine with this story, as well. I’m going to continue to keep doing my part and making an impact on the world and changing things.”
Today, Yankees players and coaches participated in CPR training with @HamlinIsland, @American_Heart, @sarahtaffet, and NYC Public School Athletic Leagues personnel.
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) July 3, 2023
In order to save more lives, those outside of medicine need to be prepared to perform CPR pic.twitter.com/lBfxao7iRQ
Last week Hamlin was the honored guest of the Pittsburgh Pirates, throwing out the ceremonial pitch in what he described as “a kid’s dream and something that “means everything” to him as a Pittsburgh native and lifelong Pirates fan who adores all things Pittsburgh. But throwing the first pitch wasn’t Hamlin’s main reason for returning to the Steel City, as he also helped coordinate CPR/AED training, education, and access to area youth sports and community groups.
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