SURG on the Water, 102 N. Water St. will host the first annual SURG Cares Foundation charity dinner in support of the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
The event, held on Thursday, Aug. 7 at 5:30 p.m., will combine delicious offerings from the SURG culinary team while highlighting the remarkable progress that MDA is making on the path towards a cure for Muscle Disease, with proceeds supporting MDA and the 250 current research grants they are currently funding.
The dinner will accompany cocktail hour and reception featuring live music and beautiful views of the Milwaukee River from the SURG on the Water deck, as well as a luxury raffle. The menu, created by SURG chefs, will include selections of Mangalitsa pork and Wagyu beef from SURG owner Mike Polaski's Hidden Creek Farm.
Miss Reagan Imhoff, MDA’s National Goodwill Ambassador, will be in attendance to talk about her hopes for research, what MDA means to her and how the money the community is raising is helping children just like her in Southern Wisconsin.
Diagnosed with type 2 spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) as an infant, Imhoff served for three years as Wisconsin’s MDA State Goodwill Ambassador before being chosen as National Ambassador. A happy and outgoing third-grader, Imhoff enjoys reading, dancing, drawing, swimming and musicals. She is also a regular at MDA’s summer camp each year and loves sharing her favorite memories.
Cocktail hour begins at 5:30 p.m. with a dinner program beginning at 7:30 p.m. Limited tickets are available for $250 each or $2,000 per table, and can be purchased online at surgrestaurantgroup.com. All proceeds from the dinner benefit MDA and are tax deductible through the MDA Foundation.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
