Bills' Hamlin using $10M from online fundraisers to fund his charity

Damar Hamlin will use the $10 million in donations he received following his on-field collapse in January to fund his nonprofit, the Chasing M's Foundation, the Buffalo Bills defensive back said Monday.

"We have been very deliberate and intentional about taking our time to set my charity up properly," Hamlin said in a statement to Thalia Beaty of the Associated Press. "I'm excited to begin sharing news about programs we are creating to impact a generation of youth and give back to others."

Chasing M's mission is to support "the aspirations of youth and community members through sports, education" and other activities and "promote health and safety in sports through CPR and AED training," according to Beaty.

Hamlin originally set up a GoFundMe in 2020 to raise $2,500 for a charity toy drive. The campaign was flooded with donations after he suffered a cardiac arrest during the Bills' Jan. 2 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, and it has raised more than $9 million to date. A second online fundraiser organized by The Giving Back Fund has raised nearly $1 million.

Kelley Denny, a Chasing M's Foundation spokesperson, said Hamlin applied for a retroactive tax-exempt status for his charity in Pennsylvania last month.

Hamlin, 24, received clearance in April to resume his football career and has been working out with the Bills.