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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, a little over a month after he went into cardiac arrest and needed to be resuscitated on the field during a Jan. 2 game in Cincinnati.
“One of my favorite quotes: it’s a blessing to be a blessing,” Hamlin said, reading from a brief statement with his parents on stage with him. “With that being said, I plan to never take this position for granted and always have an urgent approach to making a difference in the community where I come from and also communities across the world.”
Hamlin was one of five finalists for the Alan Page Award, which annually recognizes one player who goes above and beyond to perform community service in his team city and/or hometown.
Hamlin’s toy drive fundraiser received unexpected GoFundMe donations in the days and weeks after he collapsed. Chasing M’s has since raised more than $9 million.
“Giving back to my community has always been a part of who I am,” Hamlin said. “I’m thankful for my father, who’s right here behind me, growing up watching him doing community days in our community. I always was waiting on my time 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 started visiting the Bills facility.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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