Every day, our team at Hyundai of South Nashville sells cars from our showroom on Bell Rd. But this past August, we got to do something bigger: help hand a Nashville children’s hospital a check for $400,000. As a proud dealer partner of Hyundai Hope on Wheels, we watched patients, survivors, and their families gather at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt for a Handprint Ceremony that turned a parking lot into a celebration of hope — and funded real pediatric cancer research happening right here in Nashville, Tennessee.
If you drive by our dealership at 1635 Bell Rd, you’re passing a business that’s been part of this mission for years, one new Hyundai at a time. Here’s what Hyundai Hope on Wheels is, what happened at the 2026 Nashville event, and how something as simple as buying a car locally keeps this program alive.
What Is Hyundai Hope on Wheels?
Hyundai Hope on Wheels is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1998 by Hyundai Motor America, working together with more than 850 dealerships nationwide — including Hyundai of South Nashville. The organization exists for one reason: to fund research that helps kids survive cancer. Since 1998, Hyundai Hope on Wheels has awarded more than $303 million to pediatric cancer research, including over $27 million across 104 research projects in 2025 alone.
$303M+ awarded to pediatric cancer research since 1998
$22 donated for every new Hyundai sold in the U.S.
85%+ of children now survive pediatric cancer, thanks in part to research this funding supports
$2.5M+ awarded to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt researchers since 2007
The organization’s logo carries three simple values: Love, Hope, and Recovery — love for the community, hope for affected families, and a shared push toward recovery through research. Nowhere was that clearer than at this year’s Nashville ceremony.
Inside the 2026 Nashville Handprint Ceremony
On August 20, 2026, Hyundai Hope on Wheels and local Hyundai dealers gathered at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt for a Handprint Ceremony — a tradition where pediatric cancer patients and survivors press painted handprints onto a Hyundai vehicle as a lasting, colorful symbol of hope. The car then serves as a rolling reminder of why this work matters, while, that same day, Hyundai Hope on Wheels formally presented $400,000 in grant funding to two Vanderbilt research teams.
- Dr. Molly Talman received a $100,000 Hyundai Impact Award to develop an AI-assisted tool that helps build personalized survivorship care plans for childhood cancer survivors.
- Dr. Michael Robinson received a $300,000 Young Investigator Grant for the NAVIGATE-FT study, which examines the financial hardship families face during a child’s cancer treatment and pilots a program to connect them with financial resources.
— Juan C. Salazar, MD, Chair, Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
— Fred Whitt, Hyundai Southern Region
Dr. Debra Friedman, Director of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at Monroe Carell, put it simply: this funding helps her team “advance discovery so we can treat cancer more effectively.” That’s the same message we heard standing in that parking lot on Bell Road every time we’ve sold a Hyundai over the years — it all adds up to moments like this one.
How Buying a Hyundai in South Nashville Helps
Here’s the part a lot of our customers don’t realize: you don’t have to donate separately to be part of this. Hyundai Motor America contributes $22 to Hyundai Hope on Wheels for every new Hyundai sold nationwide, and that includes every Elantra, Tucson, Santa Fe, Palisade, and IONIQ that drives off our lot at 1635 Bell Rd. Whether you’re in Antioch, Brentwood, Franklin, Murfreesboro, or right here in South Nashville, choosing a new Hyundai from our dealership quietly funds pediatric cancer research at hospitals like Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
It’s a small thing built into an everyday decision that turns into millions of dollars for kids fighting cancer nationwide — with a direct line back to families here in Middle Tennessee.
See the Nashville Event for Yourself
We know photos and video tell this story better than words can. Our team was proud to be there, and we want our neighbors across Nashville to see it too.
Why This Matters to Our South Nashville Community
Hyundai of South Nashville has called Bell Road home for years, and Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt is less than a 20-minute drive from our showroom. This cause isn’t happening somewhere else — it’s happening for kids and families in our own backyard, and every Hyundai sold here helps keep childhood cancer survival rates climbing past 85%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Hyundai Hope on Wheels?
A 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1998 by Hyundai Motor America and its dealers, including Hyundai of South Nashville, funding pediatric cancer research with more than $303 million awarded to date.
How much did Hyundai Hope on Wheels award Nashville researchers in 2026?
$400,000 in August 2026: a $100,000 Impact Award to Dr. Molly Talman and a $300,000 Young Investigator Grant to Dr. Michael Robinson, both at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
Does buying a Hyundai in Nashville really help pediatric cancer research?
Yes. Hyundai Motor America donates a set amount for every new Hyundai sold nationwide, including every vehicle purchased at Hyundai of South Nashville, and those contributions fund grants like the one presented to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
What happens at a Hyundai Hope on Wheels Handprint Ceremony?
Pediatric cancer patients and survivors place painted handprints on a Hyundai vehicle as a symbol of hope, while Hyundai Hope on Wheels formally presents research grant checks to the host hospital, as it did at Monroe Carell in August 2026.
Visit Hyundai of South Nashville
Want to see the new Hyundai lineup that helps make moments like this possible? Stop by 1635 Bell Rd, Nashville, TN 37211, or give us a call. Every new Hyundai you drive home from our dealership plays a small part in the fight against childhood cancer — right alongside families at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
