WANADA Board of Directors Chairman Kevin Reilly, who serves as owner and president of Alexandria Hyundai, was given the 2020 Corporate Philanthropy Citizenship Award for his work with Children’s National Hospital. Reilly serves on the Corporate Advisory Council for Children’s National, and works to increase awareness of, and funding for, Children’s National through a variety of programs and events.
As a board member of Hyundai Hope on Wheels, Reilly’s commitment to community service has always been strong. Since its inception in 1998, Hyundai Hope on Wheels has donated more than $172 million in pediatric cancer grants across the United States. Hyundai Hope on Wheels has been a long-time supporter of Children’s National, and its pediatric cancer research efforts. To date, Hyundai Hope on Wheels has donated approximately $2 million to Children’s National in support of its pediatric cancer research.
When COVID-19 struck earlier this year, Hyundai Hope on Wheels and Reilly pivoted their efforts to support COVID-19 drive through testing centers throughout the nation. Given the nature of the economic downturn, resources were scarce and hospitals were in desperate need of funding.
Hyundai Hope on Wheels, with the support of Reilly and fellow board members, donated $200,000 to Children’s National’s COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund, and also provided an additional 15,000 PCR tests to the hospital in April. At a time when testing was hard to find, but still very much in need, the donation allowed Children’s National to launch a testing site in Northeast Washington that benefitted many in-need area residents who otherwise may not have been able to get tested – particularly children who are at-risk due to immunodeficiencies caused by cancer treatments.
“These funds can provide the assurance to a parent so they know where their child stands in regard to Covid-19,” Reilly told the Washington Business Journal. “It’s amazing to see the leadership on the part of Children’s National and it makes perfect sense to support them. We wanted to get the resources to people that could put them to use quickly and efficiently. I was at the testing site myself and was amazed by the passion of everyone there. It was inspiring.”
With the support of the Washington Area Hyundai Dealers, and Hyundai Hope on Wheels, Reilly has also worked to transform the Hands On Contest at The Washington, D.C. Auto Show to highlight health care workers at Children’s National and Georgetown Lombardi, and their efforts to find cures for pediatric cancer. The event is now called “Hyundai Hands on Hope” and, in addition to awarding a brand new Hyundai to a contestant, awards $100,000 in pediatric cancer research grants, in total, to Children’s National and Georgetown Lombardi.
WANADA congratulates Kevin Reilly on this well-deserved honor, and thanks him for his decades of community service, which has benefitted many of the region’s neediest and most-deserving residents.
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