Kit Harington was so moved by Game of Thrones fans launching a fundraiser to help the U.K. charity Royal Mencap Society in his honor that he donated nearly $10,000 to the effort. Since the fundraiser launched, it has raised almost $65,000 thanks to fans who want to help those with learning disabilities. Harington’s donation came as he recently went to rehab following the finale of Game of Thrones.
“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,” Harington wrote in a message attached to his donation. “This donations page lifted my heart and brought tears to my eyes, what a beautiful gift to receive…how generous of all of you.”
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Harington added, “Mencap is truly a wonderful charity and the money given here will go to the most incredible cause. With love and respect from beyond the wall…Kit x.”
In late May, just days after HBO aired the final episode of Game of Thrones, Harington checked himself into a wellness facility in Connecticut. However, he was spotted in London Monday, hinting that he may have left rehab. His representatives previously said the actor chose to “utilize this break in his schedule as an opportunity to spend time at a wellness retreat to work on some personal issues.”
After news broke that Harington was seeking help, members of the /r/Freefolk Reddit community and other Game of Thrones fans joined forces to launch a fundraiser in his name to help Mencap, a charity Harington has been a longtime supporter of.
“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. He absolutely nailed his performance and we loved every second of screentime we had with him,” the fundraiser page reads.
“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,” the page 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.”
More than 2,800 supporters have donated a combined £51,197 (or almost $65,000) to the fundraiser.
In January, Harington appeared in a video for Mencap, revealing that his cousin Laurent has a learning disability.
“My cousin Laurent is one of the 1.4 million people with a learning disability in the U.K.,” Harington said in the video, notes EW. “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, 32, played Jon Snow on all eight seasons of Game of Thrones, earning an Emmy nomination. He is married to co-star Rose Leslie, whom he was seen with in London this week.
Photo credit: Getty Images
