Arthur Blank donates $25k to Georgia AHA in honor of Bills’ safety Damar Hamlin

Week 17 of the 2022-2023 NFL season ended in a fashion I’ve never seen in the roughly 26-years that I’ve been watching football. I’ve seen injuries, bad ones at that. But what happened on Monday, Jan. 2 was something I’ll remember for quite some time.

The NFL, the biggest and most popular sport in the United States, had their expected primetime, playoff-important thriller between the Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills cut short due to a life-threatening injury which happened to Bills’ safety Damar Hamlin.

Nobody is at fault for the event that occurred that night; it’s football and stuff happens in a violent sport. But seeing the NFL community come together over the last couple of days had been truly special and quite frankly, refreshing. Like most of you reading this, I love the game of football and played it growing up. Sometimes I get lost in the drama and importance of the game, and it was welcomed to be reminded that at the end of the day it is just a game and life is far more important.

On Thursday, it was announced that Atlanta Falcons team owner Arthur Blank was donating a $25,000 grant to the Georgia American Heart Association in response to the cardiac arrest suffered by Hamlin.

A classy gesture no doubt by a team owner who has given a lot to the Atlanta community over the last few decades. Heart health affects everyone, and it’s quite possible that you or someone you know has dealt with heart-related issues. February is American Heart Month, which helps raise awareness for cardiovascular health of all Americans and shedding light on hypertension, a leading risk factor for heart disease and strokes.

To learn more or to donate, you can visit the American Heart Association website by clicking here.