MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY ASSOCIATION TRIBUTE AWARDS TO HONOR DR. STANLEY H. APPEL OF HOUSTON METHODIST, MARCUS MANN AND MAANAV GUPTA ON LOU GEHRIG DAY, JUNE 2

The awards event is part of the MDA Tribute Tour in Houston from June 2 through 6 to celebrate local champions, Care Centers, partners, volunteers, and families.

NEW YORK, May 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) will present MDA Tribute Awards to Dr. Stanley H. Appel, Marcus Mann, and Maanav Gupta on June 2, from 6-8:30pm CT at an in-person event at Hotel ZaZa in Memorial City, Houston, Texas. Throughout MDA's 70+ year history, local volunteers and communities have continued to be at the heart of the organization's mission to improve the lives of people living with neuromuscular disease. The MDA Tribute Award honors the legacy and life's work of those who have been tireless in their efforts to support the patients and families we serve.

• Dr. Stanley H. Appel, MDA Tribute Award

Dr. Appel is the Director of the Ann Kimball and John W. Johnson Center for Cellular Therapeutics, Houston Methodist Research Institute; Director, MDA's ALS Research and Clinical Center, Houston Methodist Neurological Institute; and Emeritus MDA Board Member. Known for his world-renowned pioneering research on therapies for the neurodegenerative diseases of ALS and Alzheimer's Disease, Dr. Appel established MDA's first multidisciplinary ALS Research and Clinical Center at Houston Methodist Hospital 40 years ago. He is an Emeritus Member of MDA's Board of Directors.

• Marcus Mann, MDA Tribute Award

As a teacher, former MDA Ambassador and leader in the neuromuscular community, Mann helped launch the MDA Emerging Leaders group in Houston. As an MDA ambassador, Mann grew up sharing his story on MDA telethons and at fundraising events to build upon the movement to fund critical research, care, and advocacy for the community.   

• Maanav Gupta, MDA Tribute Award

Gupta, an MDA family member living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, continues to raise awareness and pursue his passion for sports broadcasting with his own YouTube program called "Maanav's Sports Talk."

In addition to the MDA Tribute Awards event, the MDA Tribute Tour continues in Houston from June 2 to 6. MDA leadership will visit the Houston Methodist Neurological Institute's MDA ALS Research and Clinical Center in Houston in honor of its 40^th anniversary. In addition, MDA will visit local supporters and longstanding partners and volunteers in the community to celebrate and thank local champions. The MDA Tribute Tour in Houston will culminate at the Houston Astros celebration of Lou Gehrig Day on June 6.

The MDA Tribute Award event being held on June 2 coincides with 'Lou Gehrig Day,' as proclaimed by Major League Baseball. MDA's longstanding commitment to the fight against ALS dates to the early 1950s, when Eleanor Gehrig, widow of beloved New York Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig, was searching for a way to fight the disease that had taken her husband's life. After Gehrig's death Eleanor became MDA's National Campaign Chairman, and MDA continues to lead the effort to fund life-saving research, care, and advocacy for the ALS and neuromuscular community at large.  

The 2022 MDA Tribute Tour commenced in the volunteer state of Tennessee prior to arriving in Houston and continues to St. Louis over Labor Day.

Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) is the #1 voluntary health organization in the United States for people living with muscular dystrophy, ALS, and related neuromuscular diseases. For over 70 years, MDA has led the way in accelerating research, advancing care, and advocating for the support of our families. MDA's mission is to empower the people we serve to live longer, more independent lives. 

To learn more visit mda.org and follow MDA on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and LinkedIn.

SOURCE Muscular Dystrophy Association