Bring Kids Back
Date: April 23
Time:
- 1-2 pm – rally and press conference
- 12 pm – 4 pm – installation will be displayed
Location (to be confirmed):
Organized by Razom for Ukraine in partnership with American Coalition for Ukraine.
Volunteer opportunities will be available April 18-23 throughout the day
Learn more and sign up via the link >> HERE
Event Description
On April 23, 20,000 stuffed teddy bears will take over the National Mall — each one representing a Ukrainian child forcibly abducted by Russia since the start of the full-scale invasion.
The identities and faces of abducted children cannot be publicly displayed due to ongoing efforts to secure their return. The horrors of the crime, however, cannot remain invisible. This installation uses a universal symbol of childhood — the teddy bear — to illustrate the scale of the abductions in a powerful, visual way. It transforms that abstract number into something Americans can see, feel, and confront.
As diplomatic negotiations continue and global attention shifts elsewhere, the fate of Ukraine’s children must not be sidelined. The return of every child is non-negotiable. And the war is not over until Ukrainian children come back home.
The installation will be accompanied by a rally and press conference from 1–2 PM featuring lawmakers, faith leaders, advocates, and members of the Ukrainian American community. The display will remain in place until 4 PM for public viewing and media coverage.
Purpose
The event aims to:
- Urge the U.S. administration to prioritize the return of abducted Ukrainian children in all diplomatic engagements
- Reinforce bipartisan Congressional support for holding Russia to account
- Generate national media attention around an ongoing war crime
- Provide a visible, peaceful, and nonpartisan call to action
Core Messages
- The war is not over until every Ukrainian child comes home.
- The United States must help bring Ukraine’s abducted children home.
- Ukraine’s children are not a bargaining chip.
Volunteer opportunities
It takes a village to raise a child – and the world to save one. To execute this ambitious project, we need the help of the community. Volunteer opportunities will be available throughout the week, including on the day of the event.
We need volunteers to put an installation together, load and unload pieces of the installation from the trucks, help with the installation on the site, drive the U-Hauls, marshal the rally, help clean up after the event and join the rally as a participant. If you are available on the day of the event – or before – sign up via the form and let us know your availability.