Hyundai Hope On Wheels Awards Impact Grants Totaling $900,000 For Pediatric Cancer Research

MCALLEN, Texas, Aug. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyundai Hope On Wheels® (HHOW) and McAllen-area Hyundai dealers will present the Vannie E. Cook Jr. Children's Cancer and Hematology Clinic with a $50,000 Impact Grant to be used to improve care and increase treatment options for kids with cancer. The Vannie E. Cook Jr. Children's Cancer and Hematology Clinic was chosen because of its proven track record of caring for children with pediatric cancer, and is one of 18 recipients across the country to receive a 2016 Hyundai Impact Grant from Hyundai Hope On Wheels® (HHOW).  

The $50,000 Impact Grant will be presented during a Handprint Ceremony on Monday, August 15, during which the handprints of local McAllen-area brave young cancer patients will be captured on a white 2016 Hyundai Tucson – the Hyundai Hope On Wheels hero vehicle – to commemorate their fight against the disease. The ceremony will also feature:

• Dr. Juan Carlos Bernini, Medical Director, Vannie E. Cook Jr. Children's Cancer and Hematology Clinic
• Dr. Rodrigo Erana, Vannie E. Cook Jr. Children's Cancer and Hematology Clinic

About the Hyundai Hope on Wheels Impact Grant

During the months of July and August, HHOW will award 18 hospitals in the US with a $50,000 Hyundai Impact Grant for pediatric cancer research to help end childhood cancer. The Impact Grant supports the programmatic needs of pediatric oncology. The grant may also be used to support direct patient assistance programs, such as enrichment programs, play room/teen center equipment, family on-site support, educational initiatives, or other efforts to improve care and cure for kids fighting cancer.

In addition to the Impact Grant winner, Hope On Wheels will soon announce the winners of its Hyundai Scholar and Young Investigator Grants.  This year alone, HHOW will award more than $13 million in new pediatric cancer grants. Since 1998, the program has funded $115 million in research to Children's Oncology Group (COG) member institutions nationwide. The program also creates awareness about the importance of the disease, which is the leading cause of death by disease in children in the United States (source).

Attendees at the various ceremonies will include HHOW's two national youth ambassadors and pediatric cancer survivors, Hannah Adams and Ryan Darby, who will deliver a message of hope to children's cancer hospitals. Hannah was five years old when she was diagnosed with a Stage 3 Wilms tumor that enveloped her kidney. Since her recovery, she has pursued her love of dancing and singing to help uplift and encourage other children and families through their fight. Twelve-year-old Ryan was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia six years ago, and since his recovery, he has shared his story and words of encouragement with children and families across the country. Watch Hannah and Ryan's story at www.HyundaiHopeOnWheels.org

"Our mission at Hyundai Hope On Wheels is clear: End Childhood Cancer," said Scott Stark, Chairman, Hyundai Hope On Wheels Board of Directors. "By funding transformational research through our Impact Grants and celebrating the lives of the brave young cancer fighters at our handprint ceremonies, we move closer to our dream of a day without cancer. This is a fight you can count on us to be in until no child ever has to hear the words: you have cancer."

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. HHOW is one of the largest nonprofit 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 830 U.S. dealers.  Since its inception, Hyundai Hope On Wheels has awarded more than $115 million towards childhood cancer research in pursuit of a cure.

To learn more about Hyundai Hope On Wheels, please visit www.HyundaiHopeOnWheels.org or follow us on social media at www.facebook.com/HyundaiHopeOnWheels, www.twitter.com/hopeonwheels, and www.youtube.com/hopeonwheels.

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 830 dealerships nationwide.

Please visit our media website at www.hyundainews.com and our blog at www.hyundailikesunday.com 
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SOURCE Hyundai Hope On Wheels