Updated GoFundMe page confirms it’s being used by his family.
(Bloomberg) — In the hours following Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest, celebrities, fans and well-wishers have raised over $3.9 million for his philanthropic foundation via a GoFundMe fund Hamlin started in 2020.
Following the outpouring of donations, the page was updated on Tuesday to confirm that the GoFundMe is the best place to “support and contribute to Damar’s community initiatives and his current fight.” New donors include the professional wrestler Chris Jericho and former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, who both donated twice.
“Your generosity and compassion mean the world to us,” the updated description reads. “This is the only current fund that is being used by the Hamlin Family.”
Before Hamilton collapsed during the Bills’ game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday, the fundraiser had just exceeded its $2,500 goal with $2,921 raised, a cached version of the website shows. Since then, more than 145,000 donations have pushed the total to nearly $4 million.
The fundraiser was originally organized to support kids in need in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, as a part of his work with The Chasing M’s Foundation. (Hamlin also owns the clothing brand Chasing Millions.) Last week, he hosted the foundation’s third annual toy drive, a recap video posted to Instagram showed. He said the drive was his way to give back when he set up the page just prior to his appearance in the NFL draft. “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,” he said at the time.
Fans across NFL franchises have also donated, using signifiers that correspond to their home teams. “Much love from Ravens Nation,” one donator wrote in the publicly available comments section.
“As a Bengals fan I am proud to be able to support this great foundation started by Damar,” another noted with their donation. “He is a special person and I am praying he has a full recovery.”
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