The Illinois Lottery, in partnership with the Greater Illinois Chapter of the National MS Society and the Illinois Department of Public Health, has launched the newest version of The MS Project instant game. Proceeds from the ticket fund research aimed at finding a cure for multiple sclerosis (MS).
This is the 12th edition of The MS Project instant ticket. It costs $3 and offers three top prizes of $50,000. Since 2008, the ticket has raised nearly $9.5 million to benefit MS research statewide.
“The Illinois Lottery is proud to partner again with the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Greater Illinois Chapter of the National MS Society in the fight against multiple sclerosis,” Illinois Lottery Acting Director Harold Mays said. “Many Illinois residents struggle every day with the side effects of multiple sclerosis, and players who buy an MS Project ticket are helping provide support to find a cure.”
“A new National MS Society-funded study has recently confirmed that the prevalence of MS in the U.S. is nearly 1 million people, which is more than twice as many as the previously reported number,” said Sarah Rodriguez, president of the Greater Illinois Chapter of the National MS Society. “The Illinois Lottery-funded research projects are more crucial than ever, with twice as many people needing solutions to the complexities of this disease. Illinois is becoming a national leader in the groundbreaking research aimed at stopping disease progression, restoring what’s been lost and, ultimately, ending MS forever.”
All profits for The MS Project instant game go to the Illinois Multiple Sclerosis Research Fund, which awards grants to organizations conducting MS research in Illinois. All grants are reviewed and approved by the National MS Society’s Research Programs Advisory Committee, a panel that includes 75 leading scientists, physicians and other professionals from virtually every field related to MS.
“Multiple sclerosis is a chronic and unpredictable disease,” Illinois Department of Public Health Acting Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said. “Funding for MS research provides critical support for researchers, to help better understand this complex disease and make advances in treatment, with the ultimate goal of finding a cure for this often-debilitating disease.”
The MS Project ticket is available at nearly 8,000 Illinois Lottery retailers throughout the state and is one of five special cause instant games offered by the Illinois Lottery. Other specialty games contribute funding for Illinois veterans, the fight against breast cancer, assistance for people living with HIV/AIDS and Special Olympics training programs across Illinois. Since 2006, when the first specialty cause instant game was introduced, the Illinois Lottery has transferred more than $46 million for causes players have supported through their ticket purchases.
For more information on The MS Project, visit illinoislottery.com.
