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KEPYR Kicks Off ‘Kindred Spirits 2023’ Campaign with ‘Mandalorian’-Themed Art Auction

The kids’ media charity raises funds and awareness supporting UNICEF’s continued humanitarian assistance to 850,000 children displaced by the recent devastating earthquakes in Syria and Türkiye; online and in person events include a virtual auction featuring original art – inspired by the Lucasfilm series - by renowned comics and animators.

On June 1 children’s media charity organization, Kids Entertainment Professionals for Young Refugees (KEPYR), kicked off its “Kindred Spirits 2023” campaign, which includes online and live events around the world to raise funds for UNICEF’s work on behalf of over 850,000 children displaced by the recent devastating earthquakes in Syria and Türkiye.

With 2.5 million children in Türkiye and 3.7 million in Syria in need of continued humanitarian assistance, UNICEF has been on the ground in the region, bringing temporary shelter, nutrition and medical aid, schooling, and psychosocial support to affected children and their families. Their Immediate Response Plan in Syria remains just 44% funded while in Türkiye the number is 56%.

KEPYR’s month-long campaign consists of both fundraising and awareness raising events including an online fundraiser, live gatherings in Los Angeles, New York, Mexico City, and Wellington, NZ, and a special Mandalorian-themed auction of original art by renowned comics and animation artists like Dan Brereton, Dave Johnson, Walt Simonson, and Bret Blevins.

“Once a child refugee himself, the Mandalorian grew into a noble bounty hunter and protector of Grogu, an adorable Force-sensitive 'child' refugee in need,” commented auction organizer Henry Gilroy. “Who better than this heroic pair to bring us all together to raise awareness and deliver aid to our most vulnerable children?”

Supporters are invited to attend a virtual UNICEF briefing on the urgent humanitarian needs in Syria and Türkiye on Wednesday, June 7 at 11:00 AM EST. The hour-long event includes live reporting from on-the-ground aid workers and other UNICEF representatives, with opportunities to ask questions via chat.

All proceeds from these events will go to UNICEF USA to support UNICEF’s relief work in Syria and Türkiye.

“The world was already experiencing the worst child refugee crisis since World War II when KEPYR started in 2017,” noted KEPYR President and Founder Grant Moran. “Since that time, with the invasion of Ukraine, the catastrophic flooding in Pakistan, and now civil war in Sudan, the number of refugee and displaced children in the world has exploded. But so has support for our work in the kid’s media community, both on a grassroots level and with increasing support and cooperation from studios, networks, and production companies all over the world. That growth is very exciting to see – and we’ve still only scratched the surface of the good we can all do together. Look for more, bigger, and better from this community every year.” 

Additional information about Kindred Spirits events and donations is available here.

Source: KEPYR

Debbie Diamond Sarto's picture

Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.