September is childhood cancer awareness month, so what better time to talk about Hyundai Hope On Wheels? This program started in 1998 to help raise funds needed to fight childhood cancer. You can find out more by visiting Harrisonburg Hyundai. The staff will be happy to tell you more about the program.
Hyundai Hope On Wheels started in 1998 when some New England area Hyundai dealers donated money to support the Jimmy Fund at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. It didn’t take long for other dealers to want to make a difference, and the initiative soon became Hyundai Hope On Wheels. It’s a nonprofit organization with a goal to fund research and create awareness for pediatric cancer. Over 830 Hyundai dealerships across the country support the cause by making a donation for every vehicle sold. In 2022, the organization will exceed $200 million in donations to childhood cancer research.
Hyundai knows that every parent’s worst fear is that their child will be diagnosed with some form of cancer, which is why they created Hyundai Hope On Wheels. Not only does this organization raise money to help save lives, but it also helps doctors and researchers find new and innovative ways to fight cancer and improve care for children who are fighting it.
One way Hope On Wheels makes good use of money donated to the organization is by awarding hospitals with research grants. Just this year, they awarded over $15 million in pediatric cancer research grants to several hospitals all around the country. Some of these include the Hyundai Scholar Hope Grant for translational research, the Hyundai Young Investigators Grant for innovative research, and the Impact Grant, which can be used to directly support patients.
The Hope On Wheels handprint logo has a significant meaning. The three prints represent kids who survive, kids who are fighting cancer, and kids whose memories live on. Every year Hyundai Hope On Wheels visits children’s hospitals to donate funds and help raise awareness. Throughout the events, they host the “Handprint Ceremony.” Each child creates a handprint, which is put on Hyundai cars that travel across the country as a colorful reminder of what many children are fighting. Each handprint is a personal tribute to a child and a way to share their story.
Less than 50 years ago, a child diagnosed with cancer had little chance of survival. But advancements in technology, new and innovative research collaboration, and improved data analysis have increased the survival rate to 80%. The only way to keep expanding this percentage is to keep researching, which requires money. Less than 4% of federal research funding goes toward pediatric cancer, which means the funds must come from organizations such as Hope On Wheels.
Harrisonburg Hyundai is proud to participate in the Hyundai Hope On Wheels program. Learn more when you visit our website or stop by our store.