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.
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:
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
