If you are paralyzed, you have a choice of symbols:


This one-
to have for life

OR


This one-
to change your life

This symbol is old.   This symbol is NOW.
    This symbol stands for curing paralysis.

In its time it was good. It helped bring about ramps, parking spaces and bathrooms for people with disabilities. People with spinal cord injuries had opportunities previously denied to them.

Many people with disabilities began to be more visible in the business, sports and entertainment world. Now, the public started perceiving those with disabilities as heroic and inspirational, as “physically challenged.” Many thought if people with disabilities just had a good attitude and worked a little harder they could overcome their injury as if it were a mere nuisance.

But this perception fails to address the big picture, especially for the large percentage of people too severely injured to participate in many such activities. It fails to see that for most people, sitting in a wheelchair is just the tip of the iceberg; beneath the surface-the part the public doesn’t see- are the many medical problems that accompany spinal cord injury. Most importantly, it fails to see the need for a cure.

  

First appearing in 1978, this symbol heralded a new era. Its founders saw that medicine was only offering them chronic, endless care. They realized the only way out of their situation as to lead the way themselves. Those who wanted a cure enough to work for it organized into a volunteer, self-help group called the Spinal Cord Society.

Then they began to change things.

SCS ignored the skeptics and the critics. They persevered when other disability groups said a cure was impossible. They pioneered virtually every avenue of cure research. In short, SCS has always been well ahead of its time in bringing cure research to where it is today.

Other groups have since seen the possibility of cure, but no one has come as far as SCS. That’s because CURE-NOT-CARE means working toward our goal of a complete cure of the chronic, adult spinal cord injury.

So Come Join Us!

Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.

Edmund Burke

The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it.

Chinese proverb

All things are possible until they are proved impossible-and even the impossible may only be so as of now.

Pearl S. Buck

There is no use whatever trying to help people who do not help themselves. You cannot push anyone up a ladder unless he is willing to climb himself.

Andrew Carnegie

You gotta have a dream. If you don’t have a dream, how ya gonna make a dream come true?

Bloody Mary
–The movie South Pacific

Every great advance in science has issued from a new audacity of the imagination. 

John Dewey

The first step is recognizing that we can’t expect others to come up with a cure anytime soon if we, the people with the problem, don’t push for it ourselves and show how much we want it.

The next step is to act. By joining our chapter you will become part of a group of people who not only want to be cured, we are each doing what we can to raise the money necessary to fund this research and to be a part of making cure a reality.

If you are not part of the solution,
then you are part of the problem.

Don’t be a part of the apathy that is keeping us in these chairs! Help us by getting involved and becoming a part of this life changing experience. Do it not just for yourself, but also for all of those who will come after us. Don’t leave them with the same legacy of endless care and maintenance that our forbearers left us.

YOU CAN GET INVOLVED BY...

  • Becoming an active member by contacting our chapter and getting on our mailing list for our quarterly chapter newsletter.
  • Subscribing to the monthly SCS national newsletter.
  • Telling others about SCS and getting them involved.
  • Making a donation to SCS. (Many people also remember SCS in memorial gifts.)
  • MOST IMPORTANTLY- By participating in one or more of our annual fundraisers to help us raise money for CURE! (See CHAPTER ACTIVITIES on the homepage)

(Not in the Twin Cities area? Check with our National Headquarters for a chapter near you or for info on starting your own.)

National Twin Cities
Spinal Cord Society
19051 County Hwy 1.
Fergus Falls, MN 56537
(218) 739-5252
(218) 739-5261
(218) 739-5262 Fax 		SCS Twin Cities Chapter
2785 104th Ct E
Inver Grove Hgts, MN 55077
(651) 690-5011
scstwincities@comcast.net

Heaven helps the men who will act. 

Sophocles

Never doubt that a small group of committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

Margaret Meade

Science may have found a cure for most evils, but it has found no remedy for the worst of them all-the apathy of human beings.

Helen Keller

Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish. 

John Quincy Adams

The real credit in life should go to those who get into the arena-if they fail, they at least fail while daring to be great.  Their place in life will never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat. 

Ralph Moore

Loyalty to petrified opinions never yet broke a chain or freed a human soul in this world- and never will.

Mark Twain

Ok, I’m ready to help-
But, what can I do?

The only cost of membership in our chapter is participation in one or more of our fundraisers.

We know most of you don’t have a lot of money to throw around. But you surely have a lot of family, friends, neighbors and business contacts etc. who would love to do something for you but don’t know what it could be. That’s the source we need to tap into.

We try to make it as easy as possible for you but it still requires a little effort and initiative on your part. You may initially be skeptical of your potential, but try it- you may be pleasantly surprised. One thing is for certain, if you do nothing you’ll accomplish nothing. Here are some examples of what you can do.

Golf Tournament(s)-
Recruit golfers. Solicit businesses for hole sponsorships and/or donations. Acquire donated prizes for raffle or auction. Recruit volunteers to work the event.

Appeal letter campaign-
This is an event that anyone and everyone can do, at any time, no matter where you are. We will supply you with a sample letter or you can create your own. Then send it to everyone you can think of. There’s no simpler, easier or cost effective way to raise money.

Other events-
Some people do things like garage sales or bake sales on their own. Many remember SCS in their memorials. If you have an idea of your own, let us know and we’ll help you get it started.

Always be sure to give all of your potential donors a chance- Don’t you say no for them by not asking. You’ll usually find they’re more than happy to contribute. While we don’t expect anyone to donate more than once a year, that means we can’t afford to miss any one or any year.

The important thing is to DO SOMETHING! Individually you may or may not be able to do as much as you wish you could, but together, and with all our other chapters, we CAN make a big difference.