As a way to honor the medical team that helped save his life, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, 25, is launching a scholarship program in Cincinnati.
Hamlin’s foundation, Chasing M’s, will be awarding $1,000 scholarships to 10 people in underserved communities, according to The Associated Press.
The announcement comes as the Bills return to Cincinnati on Sunday night to play the Bengals, the AP reported.
“I’m humbled by the opportunity to set up a scholarship program to honor this team of professionals -- my Cincinnati heroes -- who helped save my life on January 2,” Hamlin said in a statement obtained by ESPN. “I created this scholarship program to recognize each of them for what they have done for me, while also lifting up kids in underserved communities who are in need of some support as they look to go to a private high school, trade school or on to college.”
Each of the 10 scholarships will be individually named after the 10 first responders, nurses and doctors who treated Hamlin after he went into cardiac arrest and was resuscitated. According to the AP, it happened on the field during a game at Cincinnati on Jan. 2.
Hamlin returned to Cincinnati for the first time since Jan. 2 over the summer to host one of his CPR Tour stops, according to ESPN. The other two cities included Pittsburgh and Orchard Park, New York. The tour stop was to help provide hands-on CPR training and pass out automated external defibrillators to youth sports teams.
More than $9 million was donated to a GoFundMe set up by Hamlin after his cardiac arrest. ESPN reported that the GoFundMe was set up initially for a toy drive for a daycare he and his mother co-own.