(WNY News Now) – Buffalo, NY – One year after Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest during an NFL game, and subsequently $9 million was raised for his Chasing M’s charity as the world came together to support him, he is reflecting on the success of his community initiatives as he continues his advocacy work on and off the field. The donations helped Damar and Chasing M’s teach CPR across the country (and London), advocate for the Access to AEDs Act, and support children both in his hometown of Pittsburgh and Cincinnati to honor the medical teams that saved his life.
In an update posted to the GoFundMe Damar wrote:
As a donor to my charity, I didn’t want to let the New Year begin without reaching out personally to thank you. This past year has been an incredible journey for my family and I, and the growth of my charity – through the generosity of people like you – is a great blessing to me.
In addition to returning to the NFL this fall, I’ve spent time creating the mission of my charity, which is focused on empowering youth and lifting up people who face adversity.
One of the things that has inspired me most is the real-life stories of people who were inspired to be CPR trained because of my experience, then turned around and saved the life of another this year. It’s a blessing to be a blessing, and I’m so grateful to have this platform to give back to others, like people have done for me growing up.
During the last year, we’ve worked hard to have an impact. Our efforts have involved things like:
Creating the Chasing M’s CPR Tour:
Our Chasing M’s CPR tour was launched this year, with events in Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Cincinnati, and London, reaching thousands of people. Through a partnership with the American Heart Association, the tour provided CPR training and education. In each City, the dollars donated to our charity were used to distribute AEDs to youth sports organizations, which will protect kids for years to come. Beyond those cities, we built strong partnerships with youth sports teams, NFL teams, community partners and many organizations that are focused on protecting kids who may face what I did. It’s amazing what people can do when we work together, and I look forward to launching my 2024 CPR Tour details soon.
Reaching Kids through Community Events:
Throughout the year, my charity also held a series of events to reach kids, inspire them and offer them the kind of support I received growing up. This included a football camp, back-to-school drive, a turkey drive at Thanksgiving and my 4th annual Toy Drive, which is something I began with my mom in my hometown of Pittsburgh, before I made it to the NFL. I’m grateful to the many community partners who joined us to support these events, donating food, toys, backpacks and so much more to help these kids.
Advocating for Legislation to Protect Kids
This year, I held a press conference on Capitol Hill to connect diverse leaders in support of the bipartisan Access to AEDs Act. This important legislation would help award grants to schools to assure that they have access to AEDs and is gaining support. It is exciting to see legislation moving in many states across the country, including New York, which recently passed a law that requires every camp and youth sports program in the state to have an AED implementation plan. As someone who grew up playing sports, I don’t recall ever learning about an AED on the field, and I’m honored to be part of raising this awareness to protect kids who may experience cardiac arrest.
Launched the Cincinnati Heroes Scholarship
This year, I also launched a scholarship program that is really special to me. The ten annual scholarships will help support kids who are considering college or a career in the trades. Each scholarship is named after one of the ten members of the medical team that helped to save my life on the field on January 2. It was a thrill this year for me to surprise them by telling them that the scholarship has been named in their honor.
On behalf of my family and I, thank you for being an important part of this incredible journey. We’re proud to partner with so many people to make an impact and appreciate your support.
As we begin a New Year, I’m humbled, honored and deeply committed to driving change that will protect kids. Thank you for being part of my journey – your continued support is what makes initiatives like these possible. Together, we are just getting started.
With love,
Damar
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