Hyundai Hope On Wheels Presents Intermountain Primary Children's Hospital With $1 Million Hyundai Quantum Grant Award To Support Pediatric Cancer Research

The Foundation embarks on a nationwide tour ahead of National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month to award $14.1 million to 38 researchers, surpassing $145 million in total giving

Its theme "Every Handprint Tells a Story" details the bravery of kids fighting cancer and their families

News provided by

Hyundai Hope On Wheels

Aug 22, 2018, 10:00 ET

SALT LAKE CITY, Aug. 22, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyundai Hope On Wheels® 501c3 nonprofit organization celebrates its 20th year in the fight funding pediatric cancer research and will present Dr. Joshua Schiffman of Intermountain Primary Children's Hospital with a $1 million Hyundai Quantum Grant. This institution is one of 4 recipients of this year's award, which is the largest grant category given to support research on pediatric cancers with low survival rates. Mr. Kenny Lee, President and CEO of Hyundai Motor America, will officially present the Hyundai Quantum Grant to Dr. Schiffman and Primary Children's Hospital on Wednesday, August 22^nd at 10:00 a.m. in Salt Lake City, UT.

September is national Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Hyundai Hope On Wheels will award thirty-eight (38) grant winners a combined $14.1 million for innovation research and novel therapies for pediatric cancer. This brings the organization's donation total to $145 million since its inception. With this latest award, Primary Children's has received more than $2.2 million in grants from HHOW.

"Throughout the country, talented doctors are working tirelessly to help kids fight cancer by conducting research or providing bedside care," said Scott Fink, chairman, Hyundai Hope On Wheels Board of Directors. "Our goal at Hope On Wheels is to provide these doctors with the grant funds they need to perform their lifesaving work."

Dr. Schiffman, one of this year's Hyundai Quantum grant winners, is not only a pediatric oncologist, he is also a pediatric cancer survivor. He is on faculty at the University Of Utah School Of Medicine, Primary Children's Hospital and Huntsman Cancer Institute. Dr. Schiffman has dedicated his life to study innovative treatments to find a cure. His team was awarded a Hyundai Quantum grant to assist his ground-breaking work in Osteosarcoma, a high risk form of pediatric cancer. Schiffman's project is studying cancer resistance in elephants and its potential implication to treat Osteosarcoma in children. Elephants and humans share a gene called TP53. While humans have 2 copies of the gene, elephants have 40 copies of the tumor-fighting gene. Dr. Schiffman's team believes the extra elephant TP53 genes may help to explain elephant's natural ability to avoid cancer. Dr. Schiffman will now use the Hyundai Quantum Grant to determine its potential in future treatment of children and teenagers with Osteosarcoma.

"Our team is honored to receive this Hyundai Quantum Award. The funding it provides will help us to rapidly advance our research to help children with Osteosarcoma, a deadly bone tumor with no new treatment options for the past 40 years," says Dr. Schiffman.

During the Hyundai Hope On Wheels grant presentation event, child cancer fighters at Primary Children's Hospital will participate in the program's signature Handprint Ceremony. They will dip their hands in paint and place their handprints on a white 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe. Their colorful handprints on the official Hope Vehicle represent their individual and collective journeys, hopes and dreams.

Learn more about Dr. Schiffman's survivor story along with local Salt Lake City youth survivor, Quincy, on www.HyundaiHopeOnWheels.org. For more information about Hyundai Hope On Wheels and to view a complete list of this year's grant winners, please visit HyundaiHopeOnWheels.org/research. Follow our 10-day countdown to Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month this September on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram at facebook.com/HyundaiHopeOnWheels, twitter.com/HopeOnWheels or instagram.com/HyundaiHopeOnWheels.

HYUNDAI HOPE ON WHEELS
Hyundai Hope On Wheels® is a 501(c)(3) non-profit 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 non-profit 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 835 U.S. dealers. Since its inception, Hyundai Hope On Wheels has awarded more than $145 million towards childhood cancer research in pursuit of a cure.

HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA
Hyundai Motor America, headquartered in Fountain Valley, Calif., is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company of Korea. Hyundai vehicles are distributed throughout the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced through 835 dealerships nationwide. All new Hyundai vehicles sold in the U.S. are covered by the Hyundai Assurance program, which includes a 5-year/60,000-mile fully-transferable new vehicle limited warranty, Hyundai's 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty and five years of complimentary Roadside Assistance.

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