A 2020 fundraiser created by Damar Hamlin received hundreds of thousands of dollars in online donations Monday night, as fans sought to show their support for the Buffalo Bills safety who was left in critical condition following a collision during a game.
Hamlin, 24, created the GoFundMe page in December 2020 to purchase toys for children ahead of the holidays, writing “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.”
According to a cached version of the web page, Hamlin’s GoFundMe had received $2,921 in donations in the two-year span through December 2022. It raised nearly $700,000 in the span of an hour Monday, after Hamlin collapsed on the field during Buffalo’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
“Praying for Damar, his family, friends, teammates and all impacted,” wrote one donor, who gave $120.
“Praying for you please be ok!” wrote another.
Follow every game: Latest NFL Scores and Schedules
OPINION:Tragic moment with Bills safety Damar Hamlin reminds us NFL players are human
Spokespeople for GoFundMe did not immediately respond to emails seeking more information about Hamlin’s fundraiser, but the company verified it as belonging to the Bills safety in a tweet.
As of 12:30 a.m. ET on Tuesday, Hamlin’s toy drive had received donations from more than 75,000 people, totaling more than $1.8 million.
A second-year safety who played collegiately at Pittsburgh, Hamlin fell to the ground Monday night after tackling Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins with 5:58 remaining in the first quarter. He received CPR on the field and was taken out of the stadium in an ambulance.
According to a news release from the NFL, which subsequently suspended the game, Hamlin was in critical condition as of 10 p.m. ET.
Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on Twitter @Tom_Schad.