Fans start fundraiser to support DeRozan after opening up about depression

DeMar DeRozan has been amazed by the outpouring of support he's received from fans and fellow athletes, and it doesn't appear to be ending any time soon.

Fans are showing their appreciation for the Toronto Raptors star with a new fundraiser called "Project Don't Worry We Got You" after he revealed he suffers from depression. The goal was to raise $80 to make a book for DeRozan filled with messages and artwork from fans, and to donate the remaining proceeds to Lupus Canada in his honor.

Quiet by nature and usually secretive about his personal life, the four-time All-Star opened up about his battle to let others in the same position know they're not alone. His courageous act has sparked a conversation on mental health in sports, with fellow hoopers Kevin Love and Kelly Oubre Jr. also discussing their experiences and crediting DeRozan.

"Me being who I am, the response and everything I got back from it, it was so positive," DeRozan said last week. "And it made me feel pretty damn good, honestly."

Related: Love respects and loves DeRozan for opening dialogue on mental health

DeRozan is an ambassador for Lupus Canada because he wants to raise awareness about the chronic autoimmune disease, from which his mother and aunt both suffer.

The name of the fundraiser comes from a tweet DeRozan posted after Chris Bosh left the Raptors in 2010.

The fundraiser surpassed $1,000 in donations in about a week.

- With h/t to The Toronto Star