Hyundai Donates $1 Million to Pediatric Cancer Research Through Epic Picks For The Big Game

Thousands of social media users came together for the Big Game to participate in Hyundai’s Epic Picks social media campaign, making game predictions to support pediatric cancer research and turning game-day engagement into real-world impact. The result: Hyundai Motor America is donating $1 million to Hyundai Hope on Wheels, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting pediatric cancer research.

Now entering its 28th year, Hyundai Hope on Wheels has awarded more than $277 million in research grants, and Epic Picks represents another way Hyundai continues to support this long‑standing commitment, which has impacted the lives of more than 40,000 children. As part of the campaign, Hyundai also offered fans a chance to win an all‑new 2026 Palisade Hybrid SUV by helping spread the word through social engagement.

The “Make Every Day Feel Epic” marketing campaign for the new Palisade Hybrid SUV launched during professional football’s championship games on Jan. 25 with an ad featuring actor and filmmaker John Krasinski. With the campaign already in motion, Hyundai aimed to deepen its connection with football fans by engaging them on social media in a meaningful and interactive way.

“This was one of the biggest sports weekends of the year, and we wanted fans to feel like they were part of something bigger,” said Sean Gilpin, chief marketing officer, Hyundai Motor America. “Using our social channels gave football fans a fun way to join the action while helping us drive meaningful support for Hyundai Hope on Wheels. Bringing people together for a good cause is what makes moments like this truly epic.”

Starting on Saturday and leading up to the Big Game on Sunday, Hyundai announced five Epic Picks for the game on their Instagram Stories (@hyundaiusa) and gave their fans a chance to make their predictions, (i.e. how long will it take to sing the national anthem, how many touchdowns will be in the first half, etc.). Fans were told that for each pick they got correct, based on the majority of the votes, Hyundai would donate $200,000 toward pediatric cancer research. Though the donation was driven by fan predictions and they got four correct for a total of $800,000, Hyundai ended the night with a surprise announcement: a full $1 million donation, reminding everyone that hope wins no matter the score. They also offered fans a chance to win a new 2026 Palisade Hybrid SUV if they helped amplify the campaign by tagging a friend on a Hyundai post and using #HyundaiEpicSweepstakes.

With this campaign and the resulting $1 million donation, Hyundai wanted to take advantage of the engagement of its social media community during the Big Game, while putting the spotlight on Hyundai Hope on Wheels and its work to end childhood cancer. Through its efforts over the past 28 years, Hyundai Hope on Wheels has made a profound difference in significantly increasing the childhood cancer survival rate from approximately 75 percent to 85 percent and helped save numerous lives. In 2025, Hyundai Hope on Wheels announced expansion of its mission across North America with investments in Canada and Mexico. And that’s just the beginning, in 2026, Hyundai Hope on Wheels will extend its mission of hope to new markets, including Europe and India.