Hyundai Hope On Wheels Awards $250,000 Research Grant To UW Kids Cancer Fund In Honor Of National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

MADISON, Wis., Sept. 7, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyundai Hope On Wheels® (HHOW) and Madison-area Hyundai dealers will present Dr. Christian Capitini, a pediatric hematologist/oncologist at the American Family Children's Hospital, with a $250,000 Scholar Grant to research allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplants (allo-HSCT) with a combination of immunotherapies to improve the efficacy of allo-HSCT for neuroblastoma. Allo-HSCT is a transfusion of stem cells from a healthy donor that will develop into a new immune system to a patient who has been treated with high doses of chemotherapy and/or radiation. Allo-HSCT is typically used for children with leukemia or lymphoma but has limited success so far in children with neuroblastoma.

UW Kids Cancer Fund was one of 24 recipients across the country selected by a rigorous scientific review panel to receive this highly competitive Hyundai Scholar Grant.

The $250,000 Scholar Grant will be presented during a Handprint Ceremony tomorrow, Thursday, September 8, during which the handprints of local Madison-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:

• Jeff Poltawsky, Senior Vice President, American Family Children's Hospital
• Dr. Christian Capitini, Grant Recipient; MD, Pediatric Hematology and Oncology
• Paul Lamb, Central Region General Manager, Hyundai Motor America
• Tom Zimbrick, Hyundai Motor America Dealer, Zimbrick West and Zimbrick Eastside

"Our mission at Hyundai Hope On Wheels is clear: End Childhood Cancer," said Dave Zuchowski, President and CEO of Hyundai Motor America. "These individual awards to hospitals and organizations across the country are pivotal to ending childhood cancer. Although there remains a lot more work to be done, the innovation that comes from this research will ultimately help us find a cure. To all the kids, families and cancer researchers fighting this terrible disease – you are not alone and we remain committed to this important cause."

About the Hyundai Hope on Wheels Scholar Grants and Handprint Ceremonies
The Scholar Senior Research Grants will fund childhood research projects designed to improve the treatment and quality of life for children with cancer. The ultimate goal of the Scholar Senior Research Grant program is to find cures for childhood cancers once and for all. 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, now 13 years old, was only 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. Thirteen-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

2016 National Call To Action: Give Hope A Hand
In addition to funding a multitude of research projects this September, HHOW is encouraging the public to contribute to the fight against childhood cancer in a personal way. The journey begins with one simple request: Give Hope A Hand. We invite visitors to the newly refreshed website at hyundaihopeonwheels.org, to tell how they will use their hands in the fight against pediatric cancer. Once there visitors can Learn + Care + Do + Give = Hope. There are a number of additional engaging, interactive ways the public can get involved and use their hands for good.

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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