Hyundai Hope On Wheels® and Central Ohio Hyundai dealers will today award Nationwide Children’s Hospital with a $250,000 Hyundai Hope Grant for pediatric cancer research. The grant funds will support the work of Robert Johnson, PhD, principal investigator in the Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, whose research aims to identify the mutational events responsible for the formation of ependymoma, the third most common pediatric brain tumor. The data obtained will be key to the future development of novel therapies and treatments for the disease. Nationwide Children’s is one of 41 recipients of Hope On Wheels’ 2013 Hyundai Hope Grants. In all, Hope On Wheels will award $10.25 million in grants this month.
The donation is part of Hope On Wheels’ annual September Campaign celebrating National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, as a well as a new effort by Hyundai to thank its millions of owners who have helped Hope On Wheels raise more than $72 million in pediatric cancer research funding the past 15 years. Since 2007, Hope On Wheels and Central Ohio Hyundai dealers have donated $900,000 to Nationwide Children’s.
“I want to thank Hyundai Hope On Wheels for awarding my team’s work with this grant, and shining a bright light on the importance of childhood cancer research,” Dr. Johnson said. “Our research focuses on the development of alternative therapies for the treatment of ependymoma. By identifying the genetic changes responsible for the formation of the disease, it will help us determine the best treatment for this type of childhood cancer.”
The $250,000 Hyundai Hope Grant to Dr. Johnson will be officially presented during a Hope On Wheels Handprint Ceremony at Nationwide Children’s today at 10:30 a.m. During the ceremony, Columbus-area children battling cancer will place their handprints dipped in colorful paint on white canvases and a physicians’ labcoat to commemorate their brave battles with cancer. Every handprint tells a story and this ceremony celebrates the courageous lives of children faced with cancer and brings Hope On Wheels’ community of supporters together.
Throughout September, Hope On Wheels will also conduct a new social media campaign inviting the public to join the pediatric cancer fight and share stories of children battling cancer to raise awareness about this disease that affects nearly 15,000 new children annually in the U.S. Visitors to Hyundai’s Facebook page will be able to lend a hand through the app “Every Handprint Tells A Story”, which allows visitors to add their handprint to an interactive map of hope, as well as watch and read the stories of some of the amazing children.
“Hope On Wheels is our fight to end pediatric cancer, and is at the soul of our work at Hyundai. With each car we sell, we make a contribution with our dealers to end this disease,” said John Krafcik, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor America. “We’ve now donated over $72 million dollars, and ask everyone to join us this September on Facebook to raise awareness about this cause.”
HYUNDAI HOPE ON WHEELS
Hyundai Hope On Wheels® is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit 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. Primary funding for Hyundai Hope On Wheels comes from Hyundai Motor America and its more than 800 U.S. dealers. At the end of its 15th year, Hyundai Hope On Wheels will have awarded more than $72 million towards childhood cancer research in pursuit of a cure.
HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA
Hyundai Motor America, headquartered in Costa Mesa, Calif., is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Co. of Korea. Hyundai vehicles are distributed throughout the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced through more than 820 dealerships nationwide. All Hyundai vehicles sold in the U.S. are covered by the Hyundai Assurance program, which includes the 5-year/60,000-mile fully transferable new vehicle limited warranty, Hyundai’s 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty, and five years of complimentary Roadside Assistance. Hyundai Assurance includes Assurance Connected Care that provides owners of Hyundai models equipped with the Hyundai Blue Link telematics system with proactive safety and car care services complimentary for three years. These services include Automatic Collision Notification, Enhanced Roadside Assistance, Vehicle Diagnostic Alert, Monthly Vehicle Health Report and in-vehicle service scheduling.
Contacts:
Kristin Schmotzer
Finn Partners
440-382-8567
kristin.schmotzer@finnpartners.com
Mary Ellen Peacock
Nationwide Children's Hospital
614-355-0495