Kit Harington Donates Over $9K to Fundraiser Started by Game of Thrones Fans During His Treatment
Kit Harington is giving back.
On Wednesday, the actor donated £7728.75, approximately $9810.48, to a fundraiser started by Game of Thrones fans in his honor, of which the proceeds will be donated to the U.K. charity Royal Mencap Society. (Harington, 32, has endorsed Mencap, which works with people with learning disabilities, since 2017.)
The fundraiser was at 87 percent of its goal and Harington’s donation allowed it to reach the £50,000 target, approximately $63,000.
Thrones fans launched the fundraiser via JustGiving.com earlier this month, rallying behind the actor in support of one of his favorite charities after news broke that Harington was receiving treatment for “personal issues” at a wellness facility in Connecticut.
“Kit Harington has given so much to the fans of Game of Thrones over the past decade playing the King in the North, Jon Snow,” reads the fundraiser description. “He absolutely nailed his performance and we loved every second of screentime we had with him.”
“This fundraiser is here to show Kit that we’re incredibly thankful to him for the sheer amount of love and skill he put into Jon Snow for us to enjoy,” it continues. “To show our gratitude, /r/Freefolk and other fans want to contribute to the charity Mencap, which Kit has been supporting for several years. Mencap supports people with learning disabilities to live independent and fulfilling lives.”
Harington attached a heartfelt message to his donation.
“To those of you who set this page up in my name and to those of you who contributed and left messages, please accept my deepest and most heartfelt thank you,” he wrote. “This donations page lifted my heart and brought tears to my eyes, what a beautiful gift to receive…how generous of all of you.”
“Mencap is truly a wonderful charity and the money given here will go to the most incredible cause,” he added. “With love and respect from beyond the wall…Kit x.”
Harington previously revealed he has a family member with a learning disability.
“My cousin Laurent is one of the 1.4 million people with a learning disability in the U.K.,” he said. “Growing up with Laurent I know that people with a learning disability have the same hopes and dreams for their lives as all young people do. However others are sometimes awkward and afraid when it comes to engaging with someone with a learning disability and that means they are often ignored and overlooked.”
Harington’s rep confirmed to PEOPLE on May 28 that ahead of Thrones‘ May 19 series finale, the actor decided to “utilize this break in his schedule as an opportunity to spend some time at a wellness retreat to work on some personal issues.”
A source told PEOPLE that Harington struggled with his status as an A-list star after shooting to fame on the mega hit series.
“For 10 years, Kit was almost interchangeable with Jon Snow, and fully inhabited this intense character,” the source said. “The role and especially the level of fame he was thrust into was a lot for someone so young and just out of drama school.”
“He took it very seriously, but it was extremely stressful,” the source added. “Ultimately, now that he has that break and has said goodbye to Jon Snow, he needed help to figure things out and be himself — to just be Kit.”
Harington, who is married to Thrones costar Rose Leslie, has since checked out of treatment and was spotted out and about in North London on Monday.
An industry source told PEOPLE that Harington had “the right attitude on self-improvement” as he sought help.
“There is no stigma in going to rehab, and he will come out in much better shape,” the source said. “With the proper help, he [will] stay in good mental condition, and can get a grip on what’s next.”
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