Charity Fundraiser Launched By Injured NFL Player Damar Hamlin Reaches $7M

• Damar Hamlin launched a fundraiser for kids to give back to the community.
• The fundraiser failed to reach its goal, until the football player suffered cardiac arrest during a match.
• The community has since raised over $7 million within less than 3 days.

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Football player Damar Hamlin launched a toy drive fundraiser in December, but it didn’t reach its goal until his recent cardiac arrest during Monday Night Football (MNF).

The 24-year-old athlete wanted to give back to the community and create a lasting impact, so he launched The Chasing M’s Foundation. The organization supports kids’ camps, back-to-school fundraisers, toy drives, and more.

Hamlin launched a GoFundMe fundraiser for a toy drive on December 14, 2020. He listed $2,500 as the goal.

He wrote on the campaign description, “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.”

“This campaign gives you the opportunity to contribute to our first initiative and positively impact children who have been hardest hit by the pandemic,” he continued. “100% of the funds raised will go toward the purchase of toys for kids in need.”

The fundraiser failed to meet its goal — until two days ago when over 200,000 made an outpour of support after the NFL star collapsed mid-game on Monday.

In the first 24 hours after Hamlin’s injury, about 2.2 GoFundMe donations were made every second on average.

Donations topped $6 million within 48 hours, and as of writing, the total funds raised have gone beyond $7 million.

Hamlin is being treated at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he remains sedated and in critical condition. There is still limited information about the player’s condition, but this morning’s news seems encouraging.

Jordon Rooney, a family friend and spokesman, said that doctors got “promising readings” overnight, adding that “progress appears to be made.”

Source: sunny skyz