Jill Kelly, the wife of Buffalo Bills great Jim Kelly, organized a prayer circle at 3 p.m. ET, Tuesday as an homage to injured Bills DB Damar Hamlin.
The Buffalo News reported about 200 people showed up at the event, which came together on short notice.
“It was whipped up together by a small group of people,” Jill Kelly said. “Certainly we can give, and yes, give to the charity that Damar set up. But also pray because there’s power in prayer, and there’s power in community.”
“We’re all heartbroken. We all feel this sense of hurt and pain.”
Jill Kelly expressed the feeling of her husband and herself as the events unfolded Monday.
“We were stunned and speechless,” Jill Kelly said. “We were reaching out to people we know. We were crying and upset. …
“Jim woke up this morning and said I don’t feel right, I’ve never felt this way before, I’ve seen so much on the field, I’m really scared. … We felt like it was your own brother, especially coming from a football family and from a Bills family, we were broken. Jim was a wreck. It is family. Damar is like family to us and we consider him a brother.”
“Lord we pray for Damar, we pray for his teammates, we pray for everyone that was on the field with him, the people who rushed to take care of him,” Jill Kelly told the group. “We pray for every doctor, every nurse, every person who will touch his body. That you will give them wisdom and discernment, that you will reach into this situation through their hands and use them to save this man, to heal this man.”
An extended video of the service, which was called “Pray for 3 at 3” is below.
Bills Hall of Famer Thurman Thomas and his wife, Patti, were among those who joined the prayer vigil.