Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin kicked off the Yankees’ 14th annual HOPE week by throwing out the first pitch at New York’s Monday night game against the Baltimore Orioles.
The Hope Week Initiative will run from July 3-7 and was founded to spread encouragement through acts of goodwill and to generate awareness for special causes and organizations.
Hamlin went to Yankee Stadium before the first pitch with certified CPR instructors to educate Yankees players and New York City Public School Athletics League personnel. Damar with the teachers and coaches, also toured the stadium and attended batting practice.
Speaking to the press, he gave a “big thank you’’ to the Yankees for taking time from their season to focus on this type of cause.
“It’s a crazy feeling,” Hamlin said. “It makes me feel like I’m doing my part and making an impact in changing the world. That’s been my goal for my entire life. Before any of you probably even knew me, I had my eye set on making an impact on the world someway, somehow. I didn’t know how it would be, but I’m fine with this platform, and I’m fine with this story, as well. I’m going to continue to keep doing my part and making an impact on the world and changing things.”
Damar getting selected as a HOPE Week participant comes six months after he suffered a cardiac arrest following a collision with Cincinnati wide receiver Tee Higgins during a January 2nd game between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals. He needed to be resuscitated on the field through CPR and the use of a defibrillator.
He was then transported to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he was said to be in critical condition and spent almost a week there before getting well enough to fly to Buffalo for further treatment.
Since Hamlin was discharged from the Buffalo General Medical Center on January 11, he has received full clearance from doctors for an NFL return, and he took part in team drills for the first time during organized team activities on June 6.
However, beyond his quest to return to the gridiron, Damar has also undergone huge efforts to spread CPR awareness across the country.
He launched a multi-city CPR tour in June through his foundation, Chasing M’s which got over $9 million in donations as a result of his on-field collapse. The tour was created for distributing medical equipment, like automated external defibrillators (AEDs), and to educate youth sports players and coaches on resuscitation techniques. The Bills also offered hands-only CPR training events locally through a partnership with the American Heart Association.
Back on the road to the football field and committed to making a difference along the way, mounting the mound at Yankee Stadium on Monday was Hamlin’s latest inspirational stop.
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