Damar Hamlin’s GoFundMe Toy Drive hits $7MILLION from nearly 220,000 donations

damar hamlin GoFundMe reached a staggering $7 million in the early hours of Thursday, as donations continue to pour in following his cardiac arrest while playing for the Buffalo Bills on Monday night.

Hamlin, 24, has made “progress” in intensive care, according to family friend and representative Jordon Rooney on Wednesday.

He collapsed on the field in the first quarter of Monday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, moments after tackling Dee Higgins and needed to be resuscitated on the field.

On the heels of Monday’s shocking scenes, a GoFundMe Hamlin created in December 2020 resurfaced, outlining his plan to raise $2,500 to buy toys for underprivileged children over the holidays amid the pandemic.

Damar Hamlin’s GoFundMe has reached an impressive $7 million in donations since Monday night

Hamlin, 24, collapsed in the first quarter of Monday Night Football at Paycor Stadium, playing for the Buffalo Bills against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Generous donations have been received, ranging from fans watching on TV to the great and good of soccer. There were, overall, nearly 219,000 donations made by the time the $7 million figure was reached.

Jim Irsay, president and owner of the Indianapolis Colts, has donated $25,003, the highest combined donation as of this writing. The extra three dollars correspond to Hamlin’s number.

Robert Kraft and the New England Patriots donated $18,003, Russell and Ciara Wilson donated $10,000, as did Tom Brady.

Other notable names like the Washington Commanders, Bucs wideout Mike Evans and Davnte and Devanne Adams have donated $5,000.

When he started the page in December, Hamlin wrote: “As I embark on my journey to the NFL, I will never forget where I came from and 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 make that impact, and the first program is the 2020 Community Toy Drive.

‘This campaign gives you the opportunity to contribute to our first initiative and positively impact children who have been hit the hardest by the pandemic. 100% of the funds raised will go towards the purchase of toys for children in need.

‘The time to act is now as we will be distributing toys on December 22 from 3:30-5:30 pm from Kelly and Nina’s Daycare Center at 800 Russellwood Ave., McKees Rocks, PA 15136.

‘If you can’t contribute monetarily, you can support this initiative in other ways. We are accepting donated toys at the daycare or just spread the word by sharing this fundraiser on your social channels.

‘Thank you very much for supporting me on and off the pitch. I am grateful to have the opportunity to work with you to help make the holiday season a little brighter for the children of our community.’

Bills players react after realizing the seriousness of Hamlin’s situation, praying for safety

Hamlin started a GoFundMe in December 2020 hoping to raise $2,500.

There have already been 220,000 donations to raise millions for his goal of helping children.

Hamlin’s team provided an update on the page when $6 million was raised, saying, “We’re simply blown away by the level of support and generosity we’ve seen over the past two days.”

‘With over $6 million raised, this fundraiser has become an overnight reminder of the incredible nature of humanity. Your actions directly reflect the type of human Damar is.

“As representatives of Damar, the Jaster Athletes team posted fundraising updates and will work with the Hamlin family, The Chasing M’s Foundation and the GoFundMe team to ensure the safe delivery of the funds. As the situation is evolving, we will continue to communicate any updates on fundraising.

‘We will also be working with GoFundMe to email all donors with more details on the use of the funds, as those details become available.

‘As you can imagine, this has been a difficult time for the family. We appreciate your understanding as we give you the time and space you need to focus first on Damar’s health.

‘We are hopeful of Damar’s future involvement in disbursing the incredibly generous contributions. We thank you again for his support and look forward to updating you along the way.’