Carson City man wins MDA award

Michael L. Rabe of Carson City has been named recipient of the Muscular Dystrophy Association's 2004 Personal Achievement Award for Nevada.

Rabe, 45, was selected for the honor, part of MDA's annual national award program recognizing the personal and professional accomplishments and community service of people with any of the neuromuscular diseases in MDA's program.

An employee with the Nevada Secretary of State's office for 27 years, Rabe has had two photographs selected to be part of the permanent MDA Art Collection.

His family has lived in Nevada since 1860 and Rabe demonstrates his love of the state's unique desert vistas in his work. Several of his photographs appear on the State of Nevada's Web site www.nv.gov/PhotoGallery.htm.

In 1963 Rabe received a diagnosis of Friedreich's ataxia (FA), a disease of the peripheral nerves that causes impairment of limb coordination, with weakness and muscle wasting. Rabe is ambulatory but has trouble with balance.

"MDA is proud to recognize Michael Rabe as Nevada's MDA Personal Achievement Award recipient for 2004," MDA President and CEO Robert Ross said. "His notable achievements exemplify the talents and abilities of people with neuromuscular diseases across the country, and the important contributions they're making to their families, professions and communities."

Rabe has participated in the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon and various other MDA activities. He has also volunteered his skills as a photographer at MDA summer camp.

Since the arrival of the MDA Collection's first piece in August 1992, the permanent collection has grown to encompass works created and donated by artists aged 2 to 82 representing all 50 states. Each artist is affected by one of the neuromuscular diseases in MDA's program.