Hyundai Hope On Wheels presented University of Florida Health Shands Children’s Hospital with a $150,000 Hyundai Young Investigator Grant on Thursday, September 7th. The grant funds supports the research of principal investigator Matthew Cascio, M.D. Cascio is an assistant professor in the UF department of pediatrics, division of hematology and oncology.
This award is part of Hyundai’s efforts during National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. This year alone, Hope On Wheels awarded 40 research grants totaling $8.5 million to institutions nationwide. This brings the organization’s donation total to $130 million since Hyundai joined the fight against pediatric cancer in 1998. With this latest grant, Hope On Wheels has awarded more than $1,900,000 to the University of Florida.
During the event, pediatric patients battling cancer participated in the program’s signature handprint ceremony, in which they dipped their hands in paint and place their handprints on a white 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe and Cascio’s lab coat. Their colorful handprints are meant to represent their individual and collective journeys, hopes and dreams.
