Robert Kraft official pic
Robert Kraft donated money to a fund for NFL player Damar Hamlin. And not just any amount. The billionaire owner of the New England Patriots donated exactly $18,003 to a fundraiser for Hamlin. The figure has Jewish religious significance as 18 is the numerical valuation of the Hebrew word “Chai” which means life. So, Jews tend to make charitable donations in multiples of 18 and the extra 3 cents signified Hamlin’s jersey number. Robert Kraft donated the money to Hamlin’s GoFundMe page.
Damar Hamlin, a 24-year-old safety with the Buffalo Bills, suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed on the field just after the completion of a play that ended when Hamlin performed a tackle of an opposing player. The game, against the Cincinnati Bengals, was broadcast live on national television during the prime time hours. Since it was the second to last game of the season and the game was significant for both teams’ playoff position it had millions of viewers. And these viewers, as well as all of the people at the stadium, had no idea what happened to Hamlin as it took a few days for the cause of his collapse to be revealed.
The GoFundMe account was initially established to support a toy drive for Damar Hamlin’s charity Damar’s community, sponsored by the Chasing M’s Foundation. However, the fund now explains that it has received renewed support in light of “Damar’s current battle and we can’t thank all of you enough. Your generosity and compassion mean the world to us.”
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“As representatives of Damar,” reads the current GoFundMe page, “the team at Jaster Athletes posted the fundraiser updates and will work with the Hamlin family, The Chasing M’s Foundation, and the GoFundMe team to ensure the safe delivery of funds.”
Damar Hamlin created The Chasing M’s Foundation to use as a vehicle to bring lasting impact to his community. The foundation supports toy drives, back-to-school drives, kids’ camps, and more. This is the only current fund that is being used by the Hamlin Family.
Damar Hamlin’s family asked supporters for their “understanding as we give them the time and space they need to focus on Damar’s health first.”
