Damar Hamlin made a brief appearance in Phoenix during Super Bowl week to receive the NFL Players Association’s Alan Page Community Award.
The Buffalo Bills safety received the award at the Phoenix Convention Center on Wednesday, just over a month after he went into cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated on the field during a Jan. 2 game at Cincinnati.
“One of my favorite quotes: It’s a blessing to be a blessing,” Hamlin said, reading a short statement with his parents on stage with him. “That said, I plan to never take this position for granted and always have an urgent focus on making a difference in the community where I come from and also in communities around the world.”
Hamlin was one of five finalists for the Alan Page Award, which annually recognizes a player who goes above and beyond to perform community service in his city and/or hometown.
Hamlin’s toy drive fundraiser received unexpected GoFundMe donations in the days and weeks after the collapse. Chasing M’s has since raised over $9 million.
“Giving back to my community has always been a part of who I am,” Hamlin said. “I’m thankful for my dad, who’s here behind me, growing up watching him do community days in our community. I was always waiting for my moment when it came.”
Hamlin collapsed on the field after a collision with a Cincinnati Bengals player and had to be resuscitated before being taken away by ambulance. He was released from a Buffalo hospital on Jan. 11 and began visiting the Bills’ facility.
Report from The Associated Press.
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