Hyundai Hope On Wheels Presents UT Health San Antonio With Hyundai Young Investigator And Scholar Hope Grant Totaling A Combined $500,000 To Support Pediatric Cancer Research

The Hyundai Hope On Wheels non-profit embarks on a nationwide tour this September during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month to award new grants for pediatric cancer, surpassing $160 million in lifetime funding for research

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Hyundai Hope On Wheels

Sep 23, 2019, 10:00 ET

SAN ANTONIO, Sept. 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyundai Hope On Wheels® (HHOW), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization supported by Hyundai and its U.S. dealers, announces $500,000 Hyundai Young Investigator and Scholar Hope Grant to UT Health San Antonio to continue its long-standing fight against pediatric cancer. HHOW has committed $13.2 million to support 52 new doctor-researchers in their research for better treatment options and to improve care for children diagnosed with pediatric cancer. The Hyundai grants will be officially presented to Dr. Gregory Aune and Dr. Amanda Lipsitt at UT Health San Antonio's Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute on Tuesday, September 24th at 10:00 am. The Greehey Institute address is 8403 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, Texas 78229.

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and HHOW has launched its campaign theme for 2019, "Every Handprint Tells A Story". Every 36 minutes a child is diagnosed with pediatric cancer impacting 15,000 new, young lives each year. Childhood cancer remains the leading disease-related cause of death among children. There are many handprints in the fight to find a cure. HHOW remains one of the largest funders to support medical institutions and efforts to develop pediatric cancer research in the nation. This year will reach $160 million in total lifetime funding since 1998 towards finding a cure. With this latest grant, UT Health San Antonio has received $1.5M in total grants since 2007 from HHOW.

"For 21 years, Hyundai and its dealers have partnered with medical doctor research teams from the top hospitals and institutions from around the country in a quest to finally beat this disease," says Scott Fink, Board Chair and Hyundai dealer owner, Hyundai of New Port Richey. "Hyundai's contributions have helped to significantly improve childhood cancer cure rates to more than 80 percent. This is why every minute is precious and every second matters in the fight against pediatric cancer."

During the event, children who are battling cancer will participate in the program's signature Handprint Ceremony, in which they'll dip their hands in paint and place their handprints on a white 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe. Their colorful handprints on the official Hope Vehicle represent their individual and collective journeys, hopes and dreams. Each of these children benefited from treatment provided by UT Health San Antonio faculty at University Hospital, part of the University Health System. The state-of-the-art therapies that saved these children emanated from research, such as the projects supported by HHOW.

Dr. Aune, a survivor of childhood cancer, uses mouse models to study how different cell types in the heart respond to anthracycline chemotherapies. "We can look at different types of cells in the heart and understand how their genetic profile changes in response to the chemotherapy exposure," Dr. Aune said. "From that, hopefully we will be able to understand more about why exposure to chemotherapy, when the heart is growing, puts patients at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease."

For more information about Hyundai Hope On Wheels and to view a list of our 2019 Hope On Wheels grant winners, please visit www.hyundaihopeonwheels.org/research. Click here to watch the 2019 campaign video. You can also follow us 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 $160 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.

For more details on Hyundai Assurance, please visit www.HyundaiAssurance.com

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SOURCE Hyundai Hope On Wheels