Hyundai Hope On Wheels® and Columbus-area Hyundai dealers will today award Nationwide Children’s Hospital of Columbus, Ohio with a $50,000 Hyundai Hope On Wheels Impact Award to Dr. Tammi Young-Saleme for her excellent patient care to families affected by pediatric cancer and blood disorders to support her continued efforts. Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of 22 recipients of a 2015 Hyundai Impact Award in recognition of the institution’s proven track record in serving families affected by pediatric cancer.
Over the course of the year, Hope On Wheels will award over $11 million to children’s hospitals nationwide through its Hyundai Impact Awards, Hyundai Scholar Young Investigator Grants and Hyundai Scholar Hope Grants programs. Celebrating its 17th year, Hope On Wheels surpasses $100 million in total donations to pediatric cancer research and programs since its inception in 1998. Since 2009, Nationwide Children’s Hospital has received $850,000 from Hope On Wheels.
“When a child or adolescent is diagnosed with cancer, he needs the best medical care possible, and he and his is entire family needs support emotionally. It is my job to lead a clinical team that is dedicated to ensure we provide the emotional support needed throughout the child and families journey from initial diagnosis, treatment and into survivorship or end of life. Our focus on providing support is comprehensive and interdisciplinary. We focus on improving the child’s quality of life and promoting normalcy, after all children with cancer are still children.”
The $50,000 Hyundai Impact Award to Dr. Tammi Young-Saleme will be officially presented during a Hope On Wheels Handprint Ceremony at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital on Friday, August 21 at 10:30 a.m. During the ceremony, Columbus-area children battling cancer will place their handprints dipped in colorful paint on a white 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, the official vehicle of Hope On Wheels. Every Handprint Ceremony celebrates the courageous lives of the children faced with cancer and brings Hope On Wheels’ community of supporters together.
“For the past 17 years, Hope On Wheels has funded research targeted at some of the most promising pediatric cancer initiatives in the medical community,” said Hyundai President and CEO Dave Zuchowski. “These awards play a vital role in developing new studies and providing a better understanding of these diseases. Our goal is survivability – to leverage this research so that one day, we can arrive at a time when no family has to ever face the prospect of losing a child to pediatric cancer again. This is a cause that our company and our dealer partners are very passionate about.”
Hope On Wheels theme for the year is "Just One Wish". Children cannot fight cancer alone, and the “Just One Wish” program highlights the wishes of every child, parent, doctor, and loved one whose only wish is to find a cure. The campaign also connects thousands of families affected by the disease via social media. Parents, particularly mothers, who visit our website and social media channels can join the effort by posting a photo of their child and sharing their own stories of courage and hope. Hope On Wheels wants all families impacted by this disease to know, you are not alone. We are all in this together.
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 820 U.S. dealers. Hyundai Hope On Wheels has awarded more than $100 million towards childhood cancer research in pursuit of a cure.
HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA
Hyundai Motor America, headquartered in Fountain Valley, 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.