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Bills safety Damar Hamlin's toy drive flooded with over $8.5M in donations after on-field collapse

The support from the NFL world and beyond was tremendous after Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field following a first-quarter tackle.
Jets Bills Football
Posted at 9:33 PM, Jan 02, 2023
and last updated 2023-01-09 14:07:57-05

DENVER — Forget the AFC standings.

Forget the rivalry.

On Monday night, when Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field following a first-quarter tackle of Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tee Higgins, the NFL world and beyond united in well wishes for the 24-year-old Hamlin.

The support for Hamlin was shown in part through tremendous online giving.

Bills, Bengals fans gather at Cincy hospital, praying for Damar Hamlin

Hamlin started a GoFundMe for the Chasing M’s Foundation community toy drive in his hometown of McKees Rocks, Pa., a suburb of Pittsburgh, in 2020 – his final season at the University of Pittsburgh before being selected in the 2021 NFL Draft.

The fundraiser listed a modest goal of $2,500.

On Monday, as viewers watched Hamlin leave the field in an ambulance following an apparent cardiac arrest, and news spread that he was in critical condition at a Cincinnati hospital, the page was flooded with donations.

It saw over $700,000 in a span of one hour after the game Monday night, and saw millions more in the overnight hours and the days after.

The fundraiser surpassed $8.6 million in total donations – from more than 244,000 donors – in the week following Hamlin's on-field collapse.

Below is video of Hamlin at a past toy drive event:

Archive: Bills' Damar Hamlin at his hometown community toy drive

Here’s how Hamlin described the toy drive on the GoFundMe page:

“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.”

It's only fitting for a Bills player to receive such love through giving. Bills fans – Bills Mafia, as they're known – are famous for showing support by donating to important causes. For example, Bills fans donated to Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's charity after he suffered a second concussion in five days – the first coming against the Bills – back in October.

Related: Karma at its finest: Bills Mafia’s legacy of giving paying off for one of their own

Karma at its finest: Bills Mafia’s legacy of giving paying off for one of their own