The outpouring of support for Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin stretched into January 3 following his hospitalization for cardiac arrest during the Bills and Cincinnati Bengals game on Monday Night Football. Hamlin, as of 1:23 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday, remained in critical condition in an intensive care unit, per a statement from the Bills.
Support for the second-year safety not only sprouted online but also showed up for his charity, with multiple members of the San Francisco 49ers getting involved.
As captured by @SF_Niners on Tuesday, Trey Lance and Christian McCaffrey are among the “big names” who have sent their donations to The Chasing M’s Community Toy Drive organized by Hamlin.
49ers tight end George Kittle is also among the growing list of donors, according to TexansWire’s Patrick Storm.
Rachel Hopmayer of Spectrum News 1 in Buffalo added that former Bengals Andrew Whitworth and Andy Dalton are among the other “big names” who have donated, a list that also now includes Tom Brady.
Purpose of Toy Drive Organized by Damar Hamlin
Hamlin, a 2021 sixth-round NFL draft pick out of Pittsburgh, first organized a toy drive in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic, with a mission of raising $2,500 to give back to youth in his community of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania.
“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 initially wrote in his mission statement on his GoFundMe page.
“This campaign gives you the opportunity to contribute to our first initiative and positively impact children who have been hardest hit by the pandemic. 100% of the funds raised will go toward the purchase of toys for kids in need,” Hamlin added.
In the hours following Hamlin’s on-field collapse, the fund has seen an influx of over 150,000 individual donations. As of 3 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday, donations had exceeded $4.5 million. The GoFundMe page provided this update:
“If you would like to show your support and contribute to Damar’s community initiatives and his current fight, this is the place to do so. This is the only current fund that is being used by the Hamlin Family. Again, thank you for your thoughts, prayers and generous support during this time.”
NFL Provides Update on Continuation of Bills-Bengals Game
Hamlin collapsed to the Paycor Stadium turf following his tackle of Bengals WR Tee Higgins at the 5:58 mark of the first quarter. Play was suspended for over an hour as club physicians and independent medical personnel tended to Hamlin, 24.
Hamlin was then taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, a Level 1 trauma center located about two miles from the stadium. Fox 19’s Joe Danneman reported that while Hamlin had a pulse, he was “not breathing on his own” while needing AED and CPR on the field.
Following the collision, an NFL statement announced that the game was postponed and Hamlin was in “critical condition.” At 1:35 p.m. Eastern time on January 3, the league sent notice that the game would not be made up this week.
“After speaking with both teams and NFLPA leadership, commissioner Roger Goodell informed the clubs today that the Bills-Bengals game will not be resumed this week,” the statement read. “The NFL has made no decision regarding the possible resumption of the game at a later date.”
The statement from the league office additionally states that no changes have been made regarding the Week 18 season finale schedule.
Meanwhile, the 49ers’ official Twitter account posted a new profile picture with the acronym “#IGYB” which stands for “I’ve got your back,” directed toward Hamlin.
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49ers Stars Among ‘Big Names’ Donating to Damar Hamlin’s Toy Drive