Pats Owner Robert Kraft Makes Big Donation To Damar Hamlin's Charity

BOSTON, MA — Patriots owner Robert Kraft made one of the biggest contributions to date Tuesday to Damar Hamlin's “Chasing M Foundation” on behalf of the New England Patriots, showing support for the Buffalo Bills safety who went into cardiac arrest after being hit during a game Monday.

The list of donations on the GoFundMe campaign, which began as a community toy drive, show that Kraft and the Patriots added $18,003—the second biggest donation after the $20,000 given by Jason Hanold, CEO of Hanold Associates Executive Search, a company that helps sports teams find front office personnel.

ESPN NFL Nation reporter Mike Reiss shared a screenshot of Kraft's donation on Twitter Tuesday, noting that within the Jewish faith, 18 is “chai” and signifies life and “3” is Hamlin’s number.

"Beautiful gesture," Reiss added in the post.

Hamlin is still sedated and on a ventilator after suffering a cardiac arrest in Monday night's game against the Cincinnati Bengals. He remains in critical condition.

Dorrian Glenn, Hamlin's uncle, told CNN on Tuesday night that his nephew had to be resuscitated twice on Monday night - once on the field after he initially collapsed, and again at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

Although Hamlin's lungs have been damaged, Glenn told CNN that he appears to "be trending upwards in a positive way."

Earlier on Tuesday, Hamlin's family issued a statement expressing gratitude for the support shown to him. "We are deeply moved by the prayers, kind words and donations from fans around the country," a statement posted on the NFL's website said.

The GoFundMe page, established to support a toy drive for Hamlin's mother's day care center in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania has received more than $6.3 million in pledges as of Wednesday afternoon.

Founded in 2020 with a goal of raising $2,500, it has received renewed support since Monday's tragic incident.

The Bills-Bengals game was suspended after Hamlin's collapse. The NFL has not indicated when, or if, the game will resume.

There has been overwhelming support for Hamlin among other NFL teams that posted "Pray for Damar" and his uniform number on their social media platforms. The NFL Twitter page posted a scroll noting that "Football is family."