COSTA MESA, CA, USA- Hyundai Motor America and its nonprofit pediatric cancer organization, Hyundai Hope On Wheels®, will present CHOC Children's with the second installment of a USD 10 million gift committed in 2011. To commemorate this event for the Hyundai Cancer Institute at CHOC Children's, Hope On Wheels will host its signature Handprint Ceremony with Orange County-area children battling pediatric cancer. The ceremony will feature a special performance by the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, Calif. on Tuesday, April 17, led by world-renowned Maestro Myung-Whun Chung.
Hope On Wheels' second installment of USD 2 million to CHOC Children's is part of a 5-year, USD 10 million grant donation – the largest corporate gift in CHOC Children's history. Funds from Hope On Wheels are being used for groundbreaking pediatric cancer research at the Hyundai Cancer Institute at CHOC Children's, using the latest advances in genomic medicine to provide more effective, individualized treatment for children afflicted with this disease.
"As we continue to strengthen our longstanding relationship with CHOC Children's, one of the best children's hospitals in the nation, we look forward to seeing results in the coming years," said John Krafcik, President and CEO of Hyundai Motor America. "Funding innovative research programs that will have a real impact on fighting this deadly disease is our mission at Hyundai, and our partnership with CHOC Children's is critical in that goal."
"I am really excited to see what the data is going to reveal," said Dr. Sender, Director, Hyundai Cancer Institute at CHOC Children's. "We are now on our way to realizing the initial goal of the Hyundai Cancer Institute Genomic Research Program – providing pediatric oncologists with information that will allow them to make better decisions about targeted, precision therapy in patients with refractory or recurrent cancer."
To celebrate the Hyundai Cancer Institute at CHOC Children's, Hope On Wheels will be joined by families, staff and doctors from the hospital, as well as community leaders and Hyundai executives at the Samueli Theater for a special performance by the Seoul Philharmonic, Korea's oldest and most prominent orchestra, and a signature Hope On Wheels Handprint Ceremony. This Handprint Ceremony will capture the colorful handprints of the brave children receiving pediatric cancer treatment at CHOC Children's as a symbol of hope for all the children battling this disease nationwide. Every Handprint Ceremony celebrates the courageous lives of the children faced with cancer and brings our community of supporters together.
In 2012, Hope On Wheels will donate an additional USD 12 million to children's hospitals nationwide for pediatric cancer research through its signature Hyundai Scholar Grant and Hyundai Hope Grant awards.
By the end of 2012, Hope On Wheels will surpass USD 57 million in total donations to childhood cancer research since the program began 14 years ago. This level of funding places Hyundai among the leading funders of pediatric cancer research in the nation.
Additional activities for 2012 will include a national grant donation tour, nationwide fund-raising 5K race series, an online social media campaign and a partnership with the Childhood Cancer Congressional Caucus. For the third consecutive year, during National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September, Hope On Wheels will conduct a comprehensive campaign to raise greater awareness about pediatric cancer and the need to fund critical research to find a cure.
With every new vehicle sold in the U.S., Hyundai customers join Hyundai and its dealers in funding important life-saving research. For more information about the Hyundai Cancer Institute, or to learn more about Hyundai Hope On Wheels, visit www.HyundaiHopeOnWheels.org.
