The non-profit embarks on a nationwide tour throughout September to raise awareness and to announce 52 researcher grant winners at children’s hospitals throughout the nation.

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CA – August 30, 2019 – Hyundai Hope On Wheels® (HHOW), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, supported by Hyundai Motor America and its U.S. dealers, continues its fight against pediatric cancer and announces plans for Childhood Cancer Awareness month. For September, the non-profit organization has selected 52 new grant winners to receive a combined $13.2 million for pediatric cancer research. In addition to grants announced earlier this year, this brings the Hyundai Hope On Wheels donations to pediatric cancer research to just over $160 million in the United States, since 1998.

The September campaign theme for 10^th year is Every Handprint Tells A Story. There are 15,000 new cases of pediatric cancer – about 44 children a day – diagnosed in the United States each year. Although 80% of kids with cancer can be cured, pediatric cancer remains the leading cause of death by disease among U.S. children. With its Every Handprint Tells A Story campaign, Hyundai Hope On Wheels brings together the many stakeholders – the child, families, doctors, hospitals, advocates, donors, and others – who work to identify new ways to find a cure and improve care for children with battling pediatric cancer. When a child is diagnosed, it not only changes their life, but his/her family and broader communal network.

“Hyundai is an international company with big ideas and a bold vision to make the world better, with a corporate philosophy of Lifetime partner in automobile and beyond,” says Jose Munoz, President and CEO, Hyundai Motor North America. “Key to our vision of a better world is the health, safety, and well-being of children. That’s why for the past 21 years, Hyundai and our U.S. dealers have joined the fight against pediatric cancer. Children are our future; they deserve every opportunity to succeed. We are funding life-saving research, and we are raising more awareness about the importance of the cause with Hyundai Hope On Wheels. Because children deserve to win!”

Hyundai Hope On Wheels is one of the largest funders of pediatric cancer research in the nation. With five (5) different grant categories – ranging from $100,000 to $2.5 million – grants are awarded to Children’s Oncology Group member institutions through a competitive doctor peer reviewed process. The Scholar Hope Grant ($300,000) and The Young Investigator ($200,000) grants are awarded during the month of September.  This month, additional donations are made to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/The Jimmy Fund Walk of the Boston Marathon (9/22) and The Run-4-Hope 5K-10K run/walk benefiting the Hyundai Cancer Institute at Children’s Hospital of Orange County (9/29).

Every 36 minutes a child is diagnosed with pediatric cancer. Children deserve to enjoy the simple milestones of childhood like having a birthday party, a first day of school, losing a first tooth, obtain a driver’s license, or get a part-time job. These ordinary milestones of childhood are often missed, when a child is diagnosed with pediatric cancer. In its place are times spent confined to a hospital room, countless surgeries, hair loss, needles and medicines, and even loss of limbs. The reality is there is nothing fun about being a kid with cancer. However, there are so many brave and amazing children whose stories of courage, bravery and hope inspires us.

“As the board chair for Hyundai Hope On Wheels, there is no greater joy than for me than to meet the faces of brave pediatric cancer fighters at children’s hospitals across the nation,” says Scott Fink, Board Chair and Hyundai dealer-owner, Hyundai of New Port Richey (New Port Richey, FL) and Hyundai of Wesley Chapel (Wesley Chapel, FL). “These amazing kids embody the word hope. They exemplify all that’s wonderful about childhood, and they show us as adults the courage of facing adversity. The Hyundai dealers of America joined the fight against pediatric cancer in 1998. For so many children fighting the disease, they travel an uncertain journey to recovery. And, sadly, for far too many others, the battle with the disease is not won. With Hyundai Hope On Wheels, will continue this fight to not only survive the disease, but to thrive.”

Returning for a second year, Ms. Elizabeth Blair (age 12 of Phoenix, AZ) and Carter Gates (age 14 of Colorado Springs, CO) served as the 2019 National Youth Ambassadors. Each will travel the country visiting children’s hospitals and attending events to share their unique messages of hope and courage.

2019 Every Handprint Tells A Story Campaign elements

The Hyundai Hope On Wheels September campaign, Every Handprint Tells A Story, is an exciting multimedia communications plan and a national event strategy to increase awareness and to engage more involvement for the cause. Including,

• Nationwide tour to 52 new grants winners
• National TV commercial
• Handprint Ceremony pop-up events
• Billboard in Times Square (54^th and Broadway) for Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month
• Annual DC Days event
• Thought Leaders’ Conference
• Interactive website experience at HyundaiHopeOnWheels.org
• Social media childhood cancer survivor and doctor-researcher videos
• Hope vehicles – Kona, Tucson, Santa Fe Hope, and Palisades
• National Press Conference
• Satellite Media Tour
• Media communications: The Hearst Media online, and The USA Today
• The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s Jimmy Fund Walk of the Boston Marathon, presented by Hyundai
• The Run-4-Hope 5K-10K, benefiting The Hyundai Cancer Institute at the Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC)
• Hyundai owner appreciation decals
• Dealership handprint sale
• And more….

Additional information about this year’s HHOW grant winners, campaign videos and consumer public engagement opportunities can be found on the re-designed website, HyundaiHopeOnWheels.org, or social media (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram).

Throughout the month of September, the Hope Vehicles will travel the nation to capture the stories of brave kids battling cancer, raise awareness of the disease, and to inspire hope for a cure. At each event we conduct our signature handprint ceremony, at which the Hope Vehicle is decorated with the  handprints of children across the country fighting the disease. These handprints represent the dreams, journey and hopes of kids fighting cancer.  Every Handprint Tells A Story!

The gold ribbon is the symbol for childhood cancer. The public is invited to help spread awareness about Hyundai Hope On Wheels and its related efforts to help end childhood cancer and to visit the website, HyundaiHopeOnWheels.org to learn more ways to support the cause.

For more information about Hyundai Hope On Wheels and to view a list of 2019 Hope On Wheels grant winners, please visit www.hyundaihopeonwheels.org/research.  You can also follow on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram at facebook.com/HyundaiHopeOnWheels , twitter.com/HopeOnWheels or Instagram.com/HyundaiHopeOnWheels.

ABOUT HYUNDAI HOPE ON WHEELS
Hyundai Hope On Wheels® is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that is committed to finding a cure for childhood cancer. Launched in 1998, Hyundai Hope On Wheels provides grants to eligible institutions nationwide that are pursuing life-saving research and innovative treatments for the disease. HHOW is one of the largest non-profit funders of pediatric cancer research in the country, and primary funding for Hyundai Hope On Wheels comes from Hyundai Motor America and its more than 835 U.S. dealers. Since its inception, Hyundai Hope On Wheels has awarded more than $160 million towards childhood cancer research in pursuit of a cure.

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