Viterbo to honor four with St. John XXIII Award

Abstract

Because of her personal experiences as a youth dealing with bullying, she teamed up with Gundersen Health System to narrate several videos on the issue.

April 21--A dance studio owner, a couple involved with a variety of community causes and a Catholic deacon will receive Viterbo University's St. John XXIII Award for Distinguished Service during a June 2 banquet at the La Crosse school.

The award is the highest non-academic award that Viterbo bestows. Recipients are chosen on the basis of contributions in one or more categories of education, business, philanthropy, peace and justice and religious life.

The honorees are:

--Misty Lown, owner of Misty's Dance Unlimited in Onalaska.

--Ernie and Sally Micek of Dresbach, Minn., who support numerous community initiatives.

--Deacon Richard Sage of La Crosse, recently retired executive director of the La Crosse Diocese's Catholic Charities and co-founder of Place of Grace Catholic Worker House.

Lown is an entrepreneur who coordinated the popular "Dancing with the La Crosse Stars" event for seven years, raising more than $400,000 for the American Red Cross. She also founded A Chance to Dance Foundation, which has provided more than $200,000 in combined cash and scholarships to students in need.

Her studio's DanceAbilities program offers one-on-one dance therapy program for children with disabilities.

Because of her personal experiences as a youth dealing with bullying, she teamed up with Gundersen Health System to narrate several videos on the issue.

The Miceks, originally from Arcadia, returned to this area after 41 years.

Ernie is retired from a long career with the multinational Cargill Corp., culminating with his position as president and CEO. During his tenure, the Wayzata, Minn.-based company grew to be one of the world's largest privately owned businesses and a leading international food supplier.

Ernie's national leadership posts include his appointment by President Bill Clinton to the president's export council. He also chaired the Emergency Committee on American Trade from 1996 to 2000.

Last fall, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation established a $3 million endowment in his name to support a professorship in the School of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering in Madison.

Sally, a graduate of the St. Francis School of Nursing, is committed to many causes associated with her profession, as well as choral music and mentorship programs, especially those for young women.

She has been involved in adult day care programs, volunteered in inner-city parochial schools and coached single mothers studying in health-related careers.

The Miceks' interests include the Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona and supporting education opportunities with scholarships and initiatives involving research and technology.

Despite Sage's retirement from Catholic Charities, he remains a visible presence in the community as deacon at Mary, Mother of the Church in La Crosse, as a volunteer at Place of Grace and a supporter of many initiatives he helped start, such as the La Crosse Warming Center.

Sage was chief financial officer of Family and Children's Center for 13 years, as well as financial officer for the La Crosse Diocese. He was a member of the first deacon class to be ordained in the diocese in 1983, and he is a founding board member of WAFER food pantry.

Credit: La Crosse Tribune, Wis.