Donations to Damar Hamlin's Toy Drive Pass $3.5 Million, $10K Coming from Wrestler Chris Jericho

The Buffalo Bills safety, who suffered cardiac arrest on Monday night during the game, started the charity in 2020 to help his mother's day care and his hometown

Damar Hamlin. Photo: Bryan Bennett/Getty

A GoFundMe which benefits a charity started by Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin has received more than $3.5 million in donations in the wake of the NFL player's shocking injury during Monday Night Football.

Hamlin, 24, started the toy drive while he was in college at the University of Pittsburgh to support his mother Nina's daycare in McKees Rocks, Pa., according to The Washington Post.

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The fundraiser had the lofty goal of raising $2,500, but in the unprecedented moments after Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest on the field during the game versus the Cincinnati Bengals, fans and onlookers gravitated to the GoFundMe as a means of support for the player.

By Tuesday morning, as Hamlin remained in critical condition at a Cincinnati hospital, the page had raised in excess of $3.5 million. Among the significant contributions was $10,000 from wrestler Chris Jericho.

In 2020, Hamlin was making the transition to the league after five years at Pitt when he launched the effort.

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"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 wrote on the donation page. "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."

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

The athlete concluded his note: "Thank you so much for supporting me on and off the field. I am grateful to have the opportunity to work with you to help make the holiday season a little brighter for the kids in our community."

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Matt Freed/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via AP

Hamlin had numerous scholarship offers from schools across the country, but elected to stay close to home when he chose Pitt. At the time, he explained that he wanted to remain nearby with his family, he told WIVB Buffalo.

"I've got a baby brother [Damir Hamlin], he's six years old right now and that was the biggest reason probably why I chose Pitt. Just staying close to my family and then having my little brother around so I could be a role model for him and just show him examples of life that I've never really had," Hamlin said.

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The second-year player became a starter this year and relished the chance to play against the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier this season.

"It does feel like … it's bigger than the childhood dream," Hamlin told The Buffalo News. "Coming from where I come from, you always had hope of making it and doing things like this, being able to be a starter and playing on a team (that's) playing your hometown team.

He continued, "But you never – if you haven't seen it done, or if it's not reality around you, it's hard to dream it, envision it. So, I can't even say it was necessarily like a dream. I always had big goals, big plans for myself. But this is kind of a big moment in life for me, honestly. I can't lie."