Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin plans to support young people through sport and education

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin plans to support youth through education and sports with the $8.6 million in GoFundMe donations that unexpectedly went to his toy drive fundraiser after he went into cardiac arrest in the middle of a game last week.

It will also use the proceeds from the sale of new T-shirts, emblazoned with ‘Did we win?’ along with his heart-shaped hands, to raise money for the Cincinnati trauma center that treated him.

Hamlin, who live-tweeted his team’s win over New England on Sunday, tweeted Tuesday that he returned to Buffalo and passed all of the doctor’s tests.

The 24-year-old has teamed up with The Giving Back Fund, a non-profit organization that helps athletes and celebrities manage their charitable giving, to organize the Charitable Fund ‘The Chasing M’s Foundation’.

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin plans to support youth with funds from his toy drive

A community toy drive organized by Hamlin had grown to more than $8 million in donations.

GoFundMe representatives have said that the crowdfunding platform will soon transfer donations that have come in since Hamlin’s injury on January 2 to the new fund. Chasing M’s is Hamlin’s clothing company.

Hamlin and his family “are humbled by the tremendous support that has been shown as he recovers,” according to his marketing representative, Jordon Rooney.

“They are incredibly grateful for the continued prayers and great concern shown by people around the world,” Rooney wrote in an email, adding that they plan to reach out to donors over time. The new fund is now soliciting donations online and by text message.

Hamlin poses for a photo with 3-year-old Bryce Williams during their December 2020 toy haul.

“We are working as a team to facilitate the transfer as soon as possible,” the Giving Back Fund said.

He plans to reveal the final total of all donations, which include endorsements from star quarterbacks Tom Brady and Russell Wilson. As the fiscal sponsor of the donations, The Giving Back Fund receives compensation for raising the funds.

Hamlin’s injury and recovery have created a boomerang of solidarity within the soccer community with fans donating, players honoring him and Hamlin tweeting his thanks to all of them.

The largest public donation to Hamlin’s GoFundMe as of Tuesday was $33,333 from Staten Island, New York-based ADCO Electrical Corp. ADCO Electrical Corp. owner Gina Addeo declined to give an interview, but the donation itself shows support, repeating Hamlin’s jersey number five times.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady had contributed $10,000 to the cause.

Similarly, Carl Fochler decided to make a donation of $25,003 on behalf of the sustainable laundry company Sheets Laundry Club that he co-owns. He stayed up late the night of Hamlin’s injury waiting for an update on his health. The next morning, he logged on for news and saw a link to a video of Hamlin talking about his fundraiser for children.

“I knew right then that it was something we had to do,” he said, after speaking with his business partner.

Fochler said he was born in Buffalo and adopted at six weeks old, adding another reason, besides being a die-hard Bills fan, to donate to Hamlin’s work to give children hope.

I know how lucky or unlucky you can be. The paths can change quickly,” Fochler said.

Anna Isaacson, the NFL’s senior vice president of social responsibility, was watching the donations roll in, even as Hamlin’s health remained top of mind. She began reaching out to “make sure we all surround Damar and her family with the resources to really take on this massive project, which will bring millions of dollars in contributions to the youth of the community.”

The league’s Player Health and Safety team is already reviewing its practices and policies following Hamlin’s injuries, which Isaacson said was part of his responsibility.

Fans of Hamlin’s team filled the home stadium at Orchard Park with signs of support.

Other signs thanked Denny Kellington, the man who gave Hamlin the CPR he needed to stay alive.

‘People are watching our games and we have fans all over the country. And with that comes a responsibility to give back and use these often difficult times and challenges to impact our society for the better,’ he said.

Fochler hopes the Bills make it to the Super Bowl, a dream for him and many fans. When asked how he was making sense of a moment with so many mixed emotions, seeing a terrible injury and then the rebound of generosity, he said Damar had already made sense of it.

pointing at a tweet where hamlin he wrote that he would rather run out of the tunnel at the start of the game with his teammates but instead said, “God is using me in a different way today.”

“When he wakes up and is Damar again, and he sees over $8 million,” Fochler said, “he’s got a lot to plan for and there’s going to be good vibes everywhere.”