Damar Hamlin’s 2020 fundraiser received hundreds of thousands of dollars in online donations Monday night, as fans sought to show their support for the Buffalo Bills safety, who was critically injured in a game collision.
In December 2020, Hamlin, 24, set up a GoFundMe page to buy toys for children ahead of the holidays, writing, “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.”
A cached version of the web page showed that Hamlin’s GoFundMe had received $2,921 in donations over a two-year period ending in December 2022. It raised nearly $700,000 in an hour after Hamlin collapsed on the field during Buffalo’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday.
“Praying for Damar, his family, friends, teammates, and everyone affected,” wrote one donor, who contributed $120.
“Praying for you, please be well!” said another.
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OPINION: Bill’s safety was a tragic moment. Damar Hamlin serves as a reminder that NFL players are human.
GoFundMe representatives did not immediately respond to emails seeking more information about Hamlin’s fundraiser, but the company confirmed it in a tweet as belonging to the Bills safety.
As of 12:30 a.m. ET on Tuesday, Hamlin’s toy drive had received donations totaling more than $1.8 million from more than 75,000 people.
Hamlin, a second-year safety who attended the University of Pittsburgh, collapsed to the ground Monday night after tackling Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins with 5:58 left in the first quarter. He was given CPR on the field before being taken out of the stadium in an ambulance.
Hamlin was in critical condition as of 10 p.m. ET, according to a news release from the NFL, which later suspended the game.
