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WASHINGTON, Jan. 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Washington Area Hyundai Dealers, The Washington Auto Show, Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Children's National Hospital are teaming up to help fight pediatric cancer through the Hyundai Hands On Hope Contest at the 2020 Washington Auto Show. A longtime staple of The Washington Auto Show, the Hyundai Hands On Contest requires hearty contestants to remain in constant contact with a Hyundai vehicle over multiple days (with a few breaks), all with the hope of driving away in a brand-new Hyundai.

This year's contest is called "Hands on Hope: 50 Hours for $100,000." Contestants will compete for a brand-new 2020 Hyundai Venue over the 50-hour contest period.  What makes this contest unique is that the contestants will also be competing for $100,000 in pediatric research grants for their medical centers.

This year's six contestants will be selected from a pool of employees from Georgetown Lombardi and Children's National – three contestants will form "Team Georgetown Lombardi" and three will form "Team Children's National." As part of this contest, the medical center where the winning contestant works will receive a $60,000 pediatric cancer research grant to move us ever closer to a cure for pediatric cancer. The runner-up medical center will receive a $40,000 pediatric cancer research grant.

The announcement of the new program was made today by Washington Auto Show President and CEO John O'Donnell and Kevin Reilly, owner of Alexandria Hyundai, and representative of the Washington Area Hyundai Dealers.

"The Hyundai Hands On Contest has long been a hallmark event at our show," O'Donnell said. "We are proud to be able to use this competition to showcase the important work that our local medical centers do to help the most vulnerable among us in their greatest time of need."

"Hyundai has a long history of supporting the fight against pediatric cancer and now the Hyundai Hands On Hope Contest will contribute to that fight, benefiting two innovators in this field, Georgetown Lombardi and Children's National," Reilly said. "The Washington Area Hyundai dealers are proud to support their great work with $100,000 in pediatric cancer research grants, and excited that one of their employees will drive away in a brand-new 2020 Hyundai Venue."

Contestants will be required to remain in contact with the 2020 Hyundai Venue at all times during the 50-hour long competition, with only 15-minute breaks every three hours. The contest winner will receive a brand-new 2020 Hyundai Venue – Hyundai's latest addition to its SUV lineup – from the Washington Area Hyundai Dealers.

If more than one person is still in contact with the vehicle at the end of the 50 hours, all remaining contestants will select a Hyundai key from a bowl. One of the keys will start the Hyundai Venue and the contestant with that key will win both the Hyundai Venue for themselves, and the $60,000 pediatric cancer research grant for their medical center. The medical center that does not have the winning employee on their team will receive a pediatric cancer research grant for $40,000. Auto Show attendees will be able to observe the contest while it is ongoing during public show hours, as in past years.

"In addition to awarding a brand new 2020 Hyundai Venue to the contest winner, as well as awarding $100,000 in pediatric research grants collectively to local researchers, the Washington Area Hyundai Dealers look to bring awareness to the need to increase funding for pediatric cancer research," Reilly said.

Hyundai dealers in the Washington, D.C. area, as well as throughout the United States, support Hyundai Hope on Wheels, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that is committed to finding a cure for pediatric cancer. Hyundai Hope on Wheels 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, including the 19 Hyundai dealers that comprise the Washington Area Hyundai Dealers.

To date, Hyundai Hope on Wheels has provided almost $4 million in pediatric cancer research grants collectively to Georgetown Lombardi and Children's National (approximately $2 million in grants to Georgetown Lombardi and over $1.7 million in grants to Children's National). Since its inception in 1998, Hyundai Hope on Wheels has contributed over $160 million to the fight against pediatric cancer.

"Hyundai Hope On Wheels has fueled some of the most promising cancer research projects underway at Children's National," said Jeffrey Dome, M.D., Ph.D., Vice President of the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children's National. "We are grateful to Hyundai Hope on Wheels — and all of the dealerships here and around the country — for their partnership and generous support for research in pediatric oncology."

Jeffery Toretsky, MD, a pediatric oncologist and researcher at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center and previous recipient of grant funding from Hyundai Hope on Wheels says such awards allow him and his lab to be more imaginative, even if approaches fail.

"If we, pediatric oncologists, don't aggressively go after novel approaches to creating drugs that are most important for targeting childhood cancer, nobody will. Our work at Georgetown has led to a current clinical trial in Ewing sarcoma. Hyundai Hope on Wheels has provided resources for my team to search outside the box in order to achieve new ways to treat cancer in both children and young adults." Toretsky said.

The Washington Auto Show takes place at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Place, NW, Washington, D.C.

Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center is designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) as a comprehensive cancer center. A part of Georgetown University Medical Center, Georgetown Lombardi is the only comprehensive cancer center in the Washington, D.C., area. It serves as the research engine for MedStar Health, Georgetown University's clinical partner. Georgetown Lombardi is also an NCI recognized consortium with John Theurer Cancer Center/Hackensack Meridian Health in Bergen County, N.J. The consortium reflects an integrated cancer research enterprise with scientists and clinicians from both locations. Georgetown Lombardi seeks to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of cancer through innovative basic, translational and clinical research, patient care, community education and outreach to service communities throughout the Washington region, while its consortium member John Theurer Cancer Center/Hackensack Meridian Health serves communities in northern New Jersey. Georgetown Lombardi is a member of the NCI Community Oncology Research Program (UG1CA239758). Georgetown Lombardi is supported in part by a National Cancer Institute Cancer Center Support Grant (P30CA051008).

About Children's National Hospital
Children's National Hospital, based in Washington, D.C., celebrates 150 years of pediatric care, research and commitment to community. Volunteers opened the hospital in 1870 with 12 beds to care for Civil War orphans. Today, 150 years stronger, it is the nation's No. 6 children's hospital. It is ranked No. 1 for newborn care for the third straight year and ranked in all specialties evaluated by U.S. News & World Report. Children's National is transforming pediatric medicine for all children. In 2020, it will open the Children's National Research and Innovation Campus, the first in the nation dedicated to pediatric research.  It has been designated twice as a Magnet^® hospital, demonstrating the highest standards of nursing and patient care delivery. This pediatric academic health system offers expert care through a convenient, community-based primary care network and specialty outpatient centers in the D.C., metropolitan area, including the Maryland and Northern Virginia suburbs. Children's National is home to the Children's Research Institute and Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation and is the nation's seventh-highest NIH-funded children's hospital. It is recognized for its expertise and innovation in pediatric care and as a strong voice for children through advocacy at the local, regional and national levels.

For more information on The Washington Auto Show please visit: www.washingtonautoshow.com.

Also:
Twitter: @WashAutoShow
Facebook: @WashAutoShow
Twitter: @MobilityTalks
Facebook: @MobilityTalks
Twitter: @LombardiCancer
Facebook:@GeorgetownLombadi
Twitter: @ChildrensNatl
Facebook: @Childrens.national
Twitter: @hopeonwheels
Facebook: @hyundaihopeonwheels
#HANDSONHOPE
#EndChildhoodCancer

SOURCE Washington Auto Show