Hyundai Canada’s new charitable foundation has made its first big splash.

Hyundai Hope on Wheels, launched in Canada this year, presented BC Children’s Hospital Foundation with a $250,000 donation to support children and youth receiving cancer care in British Columbia.

In a news release, Hyundai Auto Canada said some 130 children are diagnosed with cancer each year in B.C., and BC Children’s Hospital — the province’s only full-service acute-care hospital dedicated to children — delivers highly specialized care to young patients from across B.C. and the Yukon.

Its oncology team provides comprehensive care for children with cancer, treating hundreds of patients each year.

“At BC Children’s Hospital Foundation, we’re committed to improving outcomes for every child — and every family — facing a cancer diagnosis,” foundation president and CEO Malcolm Berry said. “This generous gift from Hyundai Hope on Wheels is more than a donation. It’s a meaningful investment in the care, treatment and hope families can count on when they walk through the hospital’s doors.”

Pediatric oncology researchers at the Vancouver hospital and BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute conduct clinical trials and lab-based discoveries to better understand childhood cancers and develop more effective, less invasive treatments made for kids.

Ongoing studies focus on a wide range of cancer types, including leukemia, brain tumors and solid tumors, with a strong emphasis on precision medicine and survivorship.

To celebrate the donation, Hyundai hosted its signature handprint ceremony, in which children affected by cancer are invited to place their painted handprints on a white Hyundai vehicle, alongside families, care teams and community members.

Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard, Hyundai Canada’s NHL ambassador and a North Vancouver native, was on hand for the ceremony to meet the children and support to the cause.

Hyundai Hope on Wheels is a registered nonprofit organization focused on funding research and care programs for children with cancer. The donation is part of its commitment to contribute $4 million in 2025 to support pediatric oncology centers throughout Canada.

“This is our first year of Hyundai Hope on Wheels in Canada, and today’s handprint ceremony at BC Children’s Hospital is a moving reminder of why this program matters,” said Hyundai Canada director of human resources and administration Kirk Merrett, who serves as Hyundai Hope on Wheels’ administrator. “We’re proud to stand with this incredible hospital and the families it serves, and to support the people working tirelessly to create brighter futures for kids facing cancer.”