KEPYR and UNICEF USA in Action

We are living in a very unique moment in time.

The world is currently facing the largest refugee crisis since World War II.  Today, our capacity to connect has never been greater.  With increased access to technology, the internet, and mobile devices, many of us have the ability to learn of events in the world around us in the matter of a few seconds. 

With these realities in mind, Grant Moran, animation writer and producer, creator and innovator, took it upon himself to respond in a unique manner to the world’s refugee crisis. 

In 2016, Grant founded KEPYR, Kids Entertainment Professionals for Young Refugees. As a creator of children’s entertainment, Grant took a personalized approach to help children who are now refugees. His motivation is rooted in a sense of personal responsibility. In his very first year of the KEPYR initiative, Grant and his own network were able to raise $20,451 for UNICEF to support refugee children. Grant was also able to successfully secure a matching grant from JP Morgan totaling KEPYR’s support UNICEF’s refugee relief activities around the globe to nearly $41,000. 

After a very successful first year, Grant made the decision to amplify his efforts at the 2018 Kidscreen Summit in Miami, Florida. 

Grant stated: “How can we ignore our audience? The group that we work for that we think about when crafting our work." With this in mind, Grant welcomed many of his colleagues from over 50 countries to the 2018 Kidscreen Summit to join him in taking a stand for young refugees across the globe. 

During this international Summit, Grant led an impactful hour dedicated to spreading awareness about the global child refugee crisis with the hope of inspiring his colleagues and friends to join in on this special call to action. The group of attendees attentively learned about the challenges facing refugee children from countries around the world and gave moving visualizations illustrating the severity of their plight. The energy was really felt in the room, when the attendees - all professionals in the arena of children’s entertainment - were moved to action. 

We are happy to report that Grant will now continue moving forward with the help of even more individuals. Grant shared his vision: “Our hope is that we spread the news and get support from professionals in every country.” 

We are honored to partner with KEPYR to continue to maximize our efforts to ensure that everychild is protected.