Fans raise over $6 million for Damar Hamlin’s toy drive after his critical injury on the field

The Damar Hamlin community toy drive initially began during the pandemic as a GoFundMe campaign aimed at raising $2,500 for Hamlin’s hometown community in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania. Now, after the Buffalo Bills player sustained a critical injury during Monday night’s game, that fundraiser has exceeded $6 million.

After being injured during a tackle to the chest, Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest and needed his heart restarted on the field during the nationally televised game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Fans looking for ways to help quickly found his GoFundMe page for the toy drive, and the rest is history.

As of last month, Hamlin’s toy drive fundraiser had raised $2,921. As of Wednesday morning, it was close to $7 million. Most of the donations average about $30. smaller. Some were more than $10,000. Some were even from New England Patriots players, who are scheduled to play at Buffalo on Sunday for the final game of the regular season.

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In a statement shared on Tuesday, Hamlin’s family expressed its “sincere gratitude for the love and support shown to Damar during this challenging time. We are deeply moved by the prayers, kind words, and donations from fans around the country.”

On the GoFundMe page for Damar Hamlin’s toy drive, there is an updated message from the Hamlin family acknowledging the massive amount of donations after his injury.

“Damar created The Chasing M’s Foundation to use as a vehicle to bring lasting impact to his community,” the statement reads. “The foundation supports toy drives, back-to-school drives, kids camps, and more. Your generosity and compassion mean the world to us. If you would like to show your support and contribute to Damar’s community initiatives and his current fight, this is the place to do so. This is the only current fund being used by the Hamlin Family. Again, thank you for your thoughts, prayers, and generous support.”

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Hamlin is currently still fighting for his life at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center following his cardiac arrest. He remains sedated on a ventilator as doctors work toward getting him to breathe on his own.

You can donate to the toy drive here.