(COLUMBUS, Ohio) – Hyundai Hope on Wheels presented Nationwide Children’s Hospital with three grants totaling $650,000 to support pediatric cancer research. Ryan Roberts, MD, and James Reinecke, MD, both investigators in the Center for Childhood Cancer at Nationwide Children’s, will receive a Hope Scholar Grant for $400,000 and a Bridge 2K Grant for $150,000, respectively. Bhuvana Setty, a clinical investigator in Nationwide Children’s Division of Hematology and Oncology, will also receive an Impact Grant for $100,000.
Nationwide Children’s celebrated the grants with a Handprint Ceremony, during which children battling cancer place their painted handprints on a Hyundai vehicle. The colorful handprints on the official Hope Vehicle represent their individual and collective journeys. Physicians and researchers who receive a grant from Hope on Wheels are named Hyundai Scholars and are presented with a special lab coat.
“Hyundai Hope on Wheels has been a consistent supporter in our fight against childhood cancer. Grant funding like this fuels more research focused on improving outcomes and innovative treatments, so that kids don’t get left behind,” said Dr. Roberts. “It is an honor to be considered a Hyundai Scholar and a privilege to continue working to improve treatment for pediatric cancer.”
In 2025, Hyundai Hope on Wheels celebrates its 27th anniversary with $27 million committed to pediatric research and programmatic grants. This brings the organization’s donation total to $227 million since its inception in 1998. This year, the organization has awarded 106 grants to medical institutions nationwide. Hyundai Hope on Wheels awards grants to researchers at eligible Children’s Oncology Group member institutions, which are focused on improving outcomes, treatments and support for children with cancer.
“We are proud of the impact being made on people’s lives through Hyundai Hope on Wheels,” said John Guastaferro, executive director of Hyundai Hope on Wheels. “Through our partnerships with researchers, doctors, and hospitals all over the country, we are advancing hope through life-saving research, treatments, and survivorship programs.”
For more information about Hyundai Hope on Wheels visit HyundaiHopeonWheels.org.
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 critical research aimed at improving treatments and saving lives. Hyundai Hope on Wheels is one of the largest nonprofit funders of pediatric cancer research in the country. Primary funding for Hyundai Hope on Wheels comes from Hyundai Motor America and its more than 850 U.S. dealers. In 2025, Hyundai Hope on Wheels will reach a lifetime donation total of $277 million in support of more than 1,400 childhood cancer research grants to over 175 hospitals and research institutions.
Hyundai Motor America
Hyundai Motor America offers U.S. consumers a technology-rich lineup of cars, SUVs, and electrified vehicles, while supporting Hyundai Motor Company’s Progress for Humanity vision. Hyundai has significant operations in the U.S., including its North American headquarters in California, the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama assembly plant, the all-new Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, and several cutting-edge R&D facilities. These operations, combined with those of Hyundai’s 850 independent dealers, contribute $20.1 billion annually and 190,000 jobs to the U.S. economy, according to a published economic impact report. For more information, visit www.hyundainews.com.