Toronto Raptors star DeMar DeRozan recently revealed that he suffers from bouts of depression. Since his revelation, the four-time All-Star has received loads of support from fellow athletes. Now, in a further show of support and appreciation, fans have created a fundraiser named “Project Don't Worry We Got You.”
The goal of the fundraiser is to raise $80 million for a book that would be filled with inspirational messages and artwork from fans, with the remaining proceeds going to Lupus Canada — an organization in which DeRozan serves as an ambassador.
DeRozan, now 28 years of age, is known for his quiet demeanor. However, when he opened up about his personal battles, several other athletes followed suit, including Cleveland Cavaliers big man Kevin Love and Washington Wizards forward Kelly Oubre Jr.
“Me being who I am, the response and everything I got back from it, it was so positive,” DeRozan said last week. “And it made me feel pretty damn good, honestly.”
"It made me feel, you know, pretty damn good, honestly. So it's cool to be able to help somebody." – @DeMar_DeRozan on Kevin Love's Players' Tribune article https://t.co/wyvmoSOuAB
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) March 7, 2018
According to a report from Victoria Nguyen of thescore.com, the name of the fundraiser comes from a tweet DeRozan posted after Chris Bosh left the Raptors in 2010.
Article Continues BelowDon't worry, I got us…
— DeMar DeRozan (@DeMar_DeRozan) June 29, 2010
Nguyen notes that the fundraiser has collected over $1,000 in roughly one week.
Without a doubt, DeRozan is an important member of Toronto's team. In his 66 games played for the Raptors this season, the former No. 9 overall pick (2009) has racked up averages of 23.7 points on 46.2 percent shooting from the field (31.9 percent from beyond the arc), 5.2 assists and 4.0 rebounds.
DeRozan and the Raptors — currently the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference standings with a 49-17 overall record — will be back in action on Tuesday night, as they're scheduled for a matchup against the Brooklyn Nets inside the Barclays Center. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. EST.