Illinois-Eastern Iowa District 
Division 24

About the Foundation 
The Spastics Paralysis Research Foundation was organized in 1952. The purpose of the Foundation is to provide financial grants to top level medical and scientific researchers specializing in spastic paralysis and other diseases of the central nervous system. Grant recipients are located in proximity to the I-I District. They make application to the Foundation for financial support of a project, the application is reviewed by the Medical Director, Dr. Rodger Elble and the Foundation officers. Typical grants are then pledged for $20,000 a year over a 3 to5 year period. Each researcher provides annual written reports on the progress of their research to the Medical Director. Grants are given to the researcher, not the institution, with direction that the funds are not to be applied to the administrative costs of the institution, but specifically to the cost of the project. The annual grant budget for the Foundation is about $300,000 annually. The foundation has its own Board, made up of the I-I District Officers and 3 Lt. Governors, in addition to three of the medical researchers.  The I-I District Circle K and Key Club Governors are also honorary members of the Foundation Board.

 

About Spastic Paralysis

Spastic Paralysis is not necessarily a disease itself, but a symptom of various diseases or medical conditions of the central nervous system that cause spasticity (stiff or rigid muscles that interfere with walking, movement, or speech). Research has included diseases such as brain tumors, spina bifida, Alzheimer, genetic causes of mental retardation such as fragile x syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome, stroke rehabilitation, neonatal care and developmental disabilities of prematurely born infants. Other research has been purely scientific in the development of medical equipment and techniques used to study the nervous system.

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