Hyundai Hope on Wheels makes $200,000 donation to bolster the fight against childhood cancer in Quebec
- The Foundation CHUS Sherbrooke and the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation received $100,000 each from the Hyundai Hope on Wheels.
- The grants, presented during two inspiring Handprint Ceremonies, will be used to support research into pediatric cancers and families who are in a battle against childhood cancer.
- The donations in Quebec are part of Hyundai Canada’s 2026 commitment to donate more than $4.1 million to hospital foundations and research teams and family support programs across Canada.
MONTREAL, Oct. 9, 2026 /CNW/ — The Hyundai Hope on Wheels national tour came to Quebec this week with a $200,000 donation to support the fight against childhood cancers.
The donations, which gifted $100,000 to Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation and another $100,000 to Foundation CHUS supporting the University of Sherbrooke Cancer Research Institute, were made at inspiring Handprint Ceremonies in Montreal and Sherbrooke. The highlight of each ceremony is a patient ambassador sharing their inspiring story as children place their handprints on a Hyundai vehicle to create a colourful reminder of the battle they have endured (or are currently waging) against pediatric cancer.
“The inspiring work in Montréal and Sherbrooke is changing lives for children and families across Quebec,” says Nitish Bissonauth, Senior Manager, Corporate Communications, Hyundai Canada. “Hyundai Hope on Wheels is proud to support the dedicated health-care professionals, researchers and advocates who are advancing care and delivering hope when it is needed most. We are grateful to play a small role in helping these communities continue their important work.”
Adds Frédéric Mercier, Manager, Brand and Product PR, Corporate Affairs, Hyundai Canada: “Every handprint tells a story of courage, perseverance and hope. By supporting groundbreaking research in Montreal and pediatric oncology in Sherbrooke, Hyundai Hope on Wheels is helping give children and families across Quebec greater hope for healthier futures. We are proud that every new Hyundai sold helps support pediatric cancer research and care, while standing alongside the remarkable children and families facing this disease.”
State-of-the-art equipment
The Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation will be dedicating all of the donation towards the purchase a new state-of-the-art tool that allows researchers to study cancer one cell at a time, without losing the “map” of how different cells are arranged within a tumour.
A joint project with McGill University and the McGill University Health Centre, the 10x Genomics Spatial Biology Platform provides an unprecedented view of cancerous tumours, allowing researchers to see a clear picture of how cancer grows, spreads and responds to treatment.
This high-resolution molecular mapping allows study of childhood cancers in greater detail than ever before. Researchers will be able to analyze how cancer cells interact with immune cells and surrounding healthy tissue, potentially leading to promising new treatment targets and accelerate the development of more effective therapies with fewer side effects for kids.
“By advancing knowledge of pediatric cancers and supporting innovations in care, this donation is directly promoting children’s health and wellness,” says Marie-Claude Proulx, Nurse Coordinator, Enhanced Recovery After Surgery, Quality and Continuous Improvement Office, at Montreal Children’s Hospital — and also the mother of Patient Ambassador Rosalie. “As someone who has dedicated my professional life to helping sick children, to then have my child affected by pediatric Cancer is certainly a unique and very challenging experience. We are thankful for programs like Hyundai Hope on Wheels that is improving the lives of children and their families during some of their most challenging times.”
A resilient little princess
The Handprint Ceremony at Hyundai Gabriel St-Jacques in Montreal featured the story of five-year-old Rosalie. She was just three years old when doctors told her she has a “big boo boo” that will keep her away from her friends at daycare for a while. Diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, a rare form of cancer that affects the bones and soft tissue, Rosalie endured chemotherapy every two weeks for a nine-month stretch.
Thanks to the cutting-edge care she received, as well as support from the Child Life Services, Rosalie’s journey was also marked by precious moments of happiness. When the music therapist entered the room, the vivacious youngster sang, danced and, for a moment, rediscovered her carefree spirit. Today, despite lingering concerns, Rosalie remains a resilient little princess who has never lost her zest for life.
The Fund for Pediatric Oncology
The $100,000 donation will support the Fund for Pediatric Oncology in Sherbrooke, an endowment that enables health-care teams to meet needs in the growing Eastern Townships and maintain membership in the global Children’s Oncology Group consortium. The consortium provides access to a multitude of research protocols that helps the hospital offer the best care adapted for each child.
Having access to these protocols means that families in the Estrie region don’t have to relocate or drive almost daily to Montreal for their kids to receive treatment, keeping families together during hard times, closer to home.
A warrior on the ice … and off
It was Boxing Day 2022 when William Picard, a young hockey player a month shy of his 18th birthday, was given the scary diagnosis of early-stage Hodgkin lymphoma. Despite having no symptoms and feeling healthy enough to compete on the ice at an elite level, a lump was discovered on his neck; a biopsy and subsequent testing confirmed the cancer.
Doctors told William the disease had been caught early and that Hodgkin lymphoma has one of the highest recovery rates among cancers, giving him reason for optimism. But treatment was no less a grind, and required him to step away from the rest of the hockey season and begin a course of chemotherapy. He went through chemotherapy with the typical side effects, including hair loss, but maintained a positive outlook, drawing strength from his age, physical fitness and determination to return to the ice with the College Champlain-Lennoxville Cougars. He also credited the support of his family, medical team at CHUS, friends and the hockey community, all of whom rallied around him during his recovery journey. Following his treatment, he staged a volleyball tournament that raised $10,000 for the hospital foundation.
A rolling reminder of perseverance and hope
A portion of every new Hyundai vehicle sold in Canada supports Hyundai Hope on Wheels, a registered national charitable organization. This year, the second year of the campaign’s cross-Canada tour, the initiative is committing $4.1 million to pediatric cancer, with the support of Hyundai Canada and its network of 225 dealers from coast to coast to coast.
Dedicated to helping end childhood cancer, Hyundai Hope on Wheels recognizes the brave children and their families who have or are facing a cancer diagnosis. At the inspiring Handprint Ceremonies staged at every stop of the Hyundai Hope on Wheels national tour, kids in a battle with cancer leave their colourful prints on a white Hyundai SUV. The vehicle becomes a rolling reminder of their perseverance and a marker of the journey too many kids and their families have had to endure.
Through a partnership with the C17 council, Hyundai Hope on Wheels is also providing dedicated funding to help advance pediatric oncology clinical trials and research.
The national tour presses on
Hyundai Hope on Wheels is in its stretch run, with only four stops left. After making donations in Ontario the tour will return to Quebec for its final leg, with Handprint Ceremonies in Quebec City October 22nd and back in Montreal October 23rd.
About Hyundai Hope on Wheels
Every time a new Hyundai is sold, a portion of that sale will help to fund Hyundai Hope on Wheels. In 2026, Hyundai Hope on Wheels continues to expand its impact across Canada, committing more than $4.1 million toward pediatric cancer, supported by Hyundai Auto Canada and its network of more than 225 Hyundai dealers nationwide. Through its new partnership with Canada’s C17 Council, Hyundai Hope on Wheels helps advance pediatric oncology clinical trials and research by providing dedicated funding support.
Hyundai Hope on Wheels is a registered charitable foundation dedicated to helping end childhood cancer. Since launching in Canada in 2025, it has become one of the country’s leading supporters of pediatric cancer research, care and survivorship through impactful investments that help advance treatment and improve outcomes for children and their families.
Media Contacts:
- Nitish Bissonauth, Senior Manager, Corporate Communications, Hyundai Auto Canada; [email protected]
- Mohga Hassib, Corporate Communications, Hyundai Auto Canada; [email protected]
SOURCE Hyundai Auto Canada Corp.
