In the days after Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field and had to be resuscitated in front of a national television audience, fans across the country wanted to help and donated $10 million. Hamlin says he has been working on the right way to put that money for a good cause, and that his own nonprofit will work toward that effort.
Hamlin told the Associated Press that what was previously a small organization he set up when he was still a college football player, the Chasing M’s Foundation, will use the money to improve the lives of young people.
“We have been very deliberate and intentional about taking our time to set my charity up properly,” Hamlin said. “I’m excited to begin sharing news about programs we are creating to impact a generation of youth and give back to others.”
Fans donated more than $9.1 million to a GoFundMe campaign for a community toy drive Hamlin organized, and almost $1 million to a fundraiser set up by The Giving Back Fund, a nonprofit that helps athletes with charitable giving. GoFundMe has confirmed that it still has the money. The Giving Back Fund has been the subject of scrutiny recently, but Hamlin said he is confident that none of the issues facing that organization will affect his nonprofit.
Hamlin is also working with the American Heart Association on a campaign to spread awareness of how to perform CPR.