Arthur Blank Foundation to donate $25K to American Heart Association in honor of Bills’ Damar Hamlin

ATLANTA — The Arthur M. Blank Foundation announced it will donate $25,000 to the American Heart Association following the collapse of a Buffalo Bills football player during Monday night’s game.

In the latest statement from the team, Damar Hamlin “has shown remarkable improvement over the past 24 hours” after he collapsed on the field during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

“While still critically ill, he has demonstrated that he appears to be neurologically intact,” the Bills said in a statement. “His lungs continue to heal and he is making steady progress.”

Hamlin was hurt in the first quarter when he was struck squarely in the chest while making what appeared to be a routine tackle of Bengals receiver Tee Higgins. Hamlin briefly got up and adjusted his facemask before he collapsed backward.

In the following hours and days, doctors determined that Hamlin went into cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated on the field.

Hamlin’s agent, Ronald Butler, said Hamlin was awake and has been able to grip the hands of family members at his hospital bedside.

On Thursday, the Blank Foundation said it was making the generous donation in support of Hamlin.

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“My family and I, and the entire Atlanta Falcons organization, send our sincere love and support to Damar Hamlin, his loved ones and the entire Buffalo Bills family,” Blanks said. “We’d like to honor Damar through a donation to the American Heart Association in support of their community training that teaches members how to respond to cardiac arrest with CPR and defibrillators. It is my deepest hope and prayer that Damar rises from this tragic incident, and we can in turn save countless lives moving forward by learning more about life-saving cardiac measures.”

Blank joins the numerous owners and players across the league who have voiced their support for Hamlin.

Colts safety Rodney Thomas made the two-hour drive from Indianapolis to Cincinnati on Tuesday just to be by the side of his former high school teammate.

“He’s a fighter. I know he’s a fighter and there’s no other thought in my mind other than him walking out under his own power,” Thomas said Wednesday.

Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Harrison Phillips, who spent the previous four seasons playing for Buffalo, had dinner delivered to the hospital for Hamlin’s family and medical staff.

Hamlin’s marketing representative, Jordon Rooney, said Wednesday that the player’s family was buoyed by the words and acts of kindness.

“They are elated right now,” Rooney said. “Damar is still their first concern. But for them, they always look at how they can turn a somewhat troubling situation into a good one. The bounce back from this, for him and his family, is going to be incredible.”

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

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