Bills announce formalization of Damar Hamlin charity, donations rise to over $8.6M

The Buffalo Bills on Sunday announced the formal creation of The Chasing M’s Foundation Charitable Fund as safety Damar Hamlin continues to make progress in his recovery from cardiac arrest on the field during a game on Jan. 2.

Hamlin started The Chasing M’s Foundation when he was in college at the University of Pittsburgh. The first order of business was to launch a toy drive in 2020 for his community. In the wake of his medical emergency, many people contributed to the fund and raised more than $8.6 million in about a week.

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Hamlin’s family announced the creation of the official charitable fund in partnership with The Giving Back Fund to facilitate everything that has gone into the player’s philanthropic efforts as a 501(c)(3)-verified nonprofit organization.

"Each day, Damar shows renewed strength and our family is incredibly grateful for the global outpouring of concern we have been given," said Mario Hamlin, Damar’s father, via the team’s website. "We remain humbled by the prayers and good wishes of so many, which have helped to sustain us as he continues to heal."

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On Monday, the doctors at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center revealed that Hamlin had been discharged from the facility and transferred to a Buffalo hospital.

Hamlin thanked the doctors for the care he received.

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"Grateful for the awesome care I received at UCMC. Happy to be back in Buffalo. The docs and nurses at Buffalo General have already made me feel at home!" he tweeted.