In September 2023, 11-year-old children Oliver and Raynie took the mound at a Major League Baseball stadium in Washington D.C. to throw the ceremonial first pitch. Both children had been diagnosed with leukemia at the ages of 5 and 6 and, through treatment, were able to overcome pediatric cancer, becoming Hope on Wheels National Youth Ambassadors. Their powerful first pitch seemed to symbolize Hyundai Motor Company’s 26-year journey of delivering messages of hope to children with cancer and their families around the world through ‘Hope on Wheels.’

Through this ceremonial first pitch, the message of ‘Hope on Wheels’ resonated across the globe, representing the company’s corporate philosophy of going beyond the pursuit of profit to embody the spirit of social responsibility, by protecting children from pediatric cancer and helping them regain the freedom to live their own lives.

‘Hope on Wheels’ has worked to support the families, researchers, doctors and children impacted by childhood cancer for 26 years. This CSR activity began in the 1990s when Hyundai Motor Company, which was already well known in the U.S. market at that time, teamed up with New England Hyundai dealers to raise money for the Jimmy Fund at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and support research into pediatric cancer. The campaign evolved into ‘Hope on Wheels’ in 1998, as Hyundai dealers across the U.S. joined in.

This campaign involves over 830 Hyundai dealers across the U.S., who donate a set amount for every vehicle sold, with Hyundai matching the contributions. The donations support pediatric cancer research and treatment, as well as local community pediatric cancer awareness programs.

In addition to donations, Hyundai Motor Company carries out a number of other programs to support the treatment and improve the overall well-being of children suffering from cancer. One such activity is their hand-printing ceremony held each year from July to September, where Hyundai visits over 60 children’s hospitals and institutions across the U.S. to present donations and share stories of pediatric cancer survivors with doctors, patients, and hospital staff.

In September each year, Hyundai Motor Company also hosts an event in Washington, D.C., in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, inviting Hyundai global leaders, members from congress, doctors, researchers and key figures from the U.S. Senate Pediatric Cancer Caucus. The event emphasizes the collective effort required in the fight against pediatric cancer.

Hyundai Motor Company has received a high amount of recognition for its ongoing efforts to combat pediatric cancer, and in 2015, to mark the milestone of surpassing $100 million in donations, a statement commemorating the company’s achievements was entered into the U.S. Congressional Record.

With the goal of eradicating pediatric cancer, Hyundai Motor Company intends to provide support not just for treatment, but also for patients in remission to aid in their transition back to a normal life. It also plans to use the campaign’s American operations as a foundation to expand internationally to countries like Canada and Mexico, spreading the ‘Hope on Wheels’ spirit far and wide.