The Honda Foundation Lends a Helping Hand

TULLAMARINE, AUSTRALIA –March 24, 2010: The Honda Foundation and Austral Honda in Queensland, has given a helping hand to the Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation (QLD) with a donation of almost $30,000 to purchase a cryogenic storage facility (called a Dewar vapour phase storage unit) to assist with research into childhood cancers.

It will replace the previous ‘liquid phase’ storage facility and allows researchers to store frozen research samples onsite, preventing bacteria and viruses from moving between samples and offering improved handling safety. The vapour phase unit also offers longer storage time, battery backup and a 24 hour monitored alarm system.

The research done with the Dewar unit supports the Royal Children’s Hospital in Brisbane, which is Queensland’s largest and oldest children’s hospital and the only paediatric hospital in the state which treats kids with cancer.

The laboratory includes a tumour bank to provide researchers with access to preserved and stored samples for a range of studies conducted in-house and in collaboration with researchers around Australia. The Dewar unit helps enable researchers to develop better treatments and an ultimate cure for cancers, particularly brain tumours, in children.

“The new Dewar unit is a great addition to our research program and will be used extensively by the tumour bank and various research groups over the next decade,” said Meredith Campbell, Director of Fundraising and Marketing at the Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation.

“We sincerely thank The Honda Foundation for providing funding for the unit and helping the laboratory continue its vital research into childhood cancers,” Ms. Campbell said.

Chairman of The Honda Foundation, Mr. Lindsay Smalley said the Foundation was pleased to assist the vital work being undertaken by researchers.

“The Honda Foundation is proud to support the life-saving and life-improving work being done by researchers in the cancer laboratory," Mr. Smalley said.

The Honda Foundation aims to provide assistance to local communities and foster goodwill among Honda Australia, Honda Motor Vehicle Dealers and the public. It draws funding from Honda Dealers and Honda Australia, who donate $15 ($5 and $10 respectively) for every Honda car sold.

For more information on The Honda Foundation and the organisations it supports, please visit www.hondafoundation.org.au