The GoFundMe set up for James Van Der Beek‘s widow and his family is surging towards the $2 million mark … and Steven Spielberg just gave it a serious boost.

The legendary director and wife Kate Capshaw dropped a massive $25,000 donation … quickly landing the coveted “top donation” spot on the page set up to help James’ family cover crushing cancer treatment costs.

Spielberg’s connection to James runs deep … he was famously the filmmaking idol of James’ character Dawson Leery on “Dawson’s Creek,” and even showed up to the show’s reunion last September while James battled his illness.

As of Thursday afternoon, the fundraiser has pulled in an incredible $1.7 million, fueled by fans and celeb donors, including Derek Hough and Zoe Saldaña.