Worried fans have so far donated millions to Buffalo Bills’ safety Damar Hamlin’s toy drive for kids, which until Jan. 2 was a GoFundMe project established by the athlete that had taken two years to raise $2,500.

Though it took a frightening situation to bring Hamlin’s name into public awareness, internet searches of his name led enough people to his GoFundMe page that within the first 12 hours after his cardiac arrest, approximately $3.7 million had been donated. Through Tuesday the fund had raised $8.6 million. Hamlin plans to support young people through education and sports with the money will also using proceeds from the sale of new t-shirts, emblazoned with “Did We Win?” along with his hands in the shape of a heart, to raise money for the trauma center in Cincinnati that treated him.

“As I embark on my journey to the NFL, I will never forget where I come from and I am committed to using my platform to positively impact the community that raised me,” Hamlin wrote when setting up the drive, in 2020.

Though it is yet to be seen whether Hamlin will ever again be able to make an impact on the field, there is no doubt he and his foundation are able to do so where it counts, now.

Surely those who were moved by Hamlin to do something good have now made a difference for children in the McKees Rocks, Pa., area for years to come. We can only hope the momentum does not stop there.