10 Years of Funding Pediatric Cancer Research

Since its inception in 2004, Hyundai Hope on Wheels, which became an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization this year, has donated more than $10 million to institutions nationwide to help kids fight cancer. The Hope on Wheels Medical Advisory Board is made up of leaders in cancer research treatment, including Dr. Leonard Sender, Dr. David Poplack and Dr. Dan Wechsler, and has provided essential guidance in the development of the Hope on Wheels program.

This summer, the Hope on Wheels Tour will travel to 32 institutions across the country and donate $1.6 million to support further training and study for doctors involved in pediatric cancer research. Hope on Wheels has named these medical professionals the Hope on Wheels Scholars. In addition, Hyundai and its dealers donated six Hyundai Santa Fe vehicles to select children’s hospitals.

The 2008 Hope on Wheels Tour will hold ceremonial donation events at 32 pediatric cancer research institutions and 30 local Light The Night Walks across the country throughout the summer and fall. Each event will celebrate children’s lives and treatment milestones by capturing their colorful handprints on a 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe vehicle.

Hope on Wheels has selected 10 year old Ms. Sammy Heim to represent the program as a special National Youth Ambassador. Sammy is in the fourth grade and lives with her family in Southern California. She has been in remission since August 2007 after battling Rhabdomyosarcoma, the most common soft tissue tumor found in children. As the National Youth Ambassador, Sammy’s indomitable spirit embodies the mission of Hope on Wheels. Click here to meet Sammy.

In celebration of its 10th anniversary, Hope on Wheels and Hyundai dealers will also expand its program to support The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s pediatric cancer research initiatives. Click here to learn more about Hyundai Hope on Wheels’ support of the organization’s Light The Night Walk.