Naperville woman leading fundraiser for MDA camp

After Mark Sigel was diagnosed with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy six years ago at age 15, he began volunteering at a summer camp for children with the disease.

When Mark returned to Naperville from his first stint as a counselor, his sister, Kate, knew she wanted to get involved too.

"He came back and he raved about it," Kate said. "I said, 'Next year I'm going with you to check this out.'"

For three summers Kate, now 24, has worked with her brother at the Timber Pointe Outdoor Center in Hudson, Ill., where the Muscular Dystrophy Association sponsors two week-long camp sessions each year.

"I didn't know what to expect," Kate said of her first time counseling. "But it's totally normal. The kids just want to goof around and have fun.

"You grow to love these kids really quickly."

Her experience at the MDA camp left Kate wanting to give more to the organization.

"I see how special the camp is for the kids and how much it means to them," she said. "I really wanted to do something more to help."

As the MDA covers the $800 cost for each child to attend camp, there are limited openings for campers each summer.

Kate began thinking of ways she could raise money to send more kids to camp, but she didn't have the money to host a major fundraiser.

A solution arose when Kate was approached by Chef Dominique Tougne, who worked with Kate for more than two years at Bistro 110 in Chicago.

"He came up to me one day and said, 'I've been thinking about you. You do a lot of nice things for people … and I want to do something for you,'" Kate said. "It was really out of the blue."

Tougne's offer gave Kate the opportunity she needed to raise money for the MDA.

She set to work organizing a benefit dinner and, with help, her efforts were successful.

The Charity Dinner for the Muscular Dystrophy Association's Summer Camp begins at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Bistro 110, 110 E. Pearson St., Chicago.

For a $150 minimum donation, diners will enjoy wine, appetizers and a three-course menu prepared by Tougne himself.

"This is really a dream come true of mine," Kate said. "The bistro is donating all the food and wine and everything, and the chef himself is working for free."

Volunteers will serve the food as well, so 100 percent of proceeds will go to the MDA.

Information about the MDA will be provided at the dinner, and Kate will speak about the camp.

"I'd like to raise money for the camp as much as possible, but I also want to get the word out there," Kate said. "Not a lot of people know about Muscular Dystrophy, and they don't know about the camps."

At camp, the kids bowl using a ramp to steer the ball toward the pins.

The camp also has a basketball tournament wherein every player -- even those who can walk -- competes in a wheelchair.

Kate describes the effect the camp has had on her life in her blog, xmaiziex13.livejournal.com.

"Sometimes, you get the chance to do something that you know will change you forever," Kate wrote. "Throughout the week I was humbled and amazed more times than I could count."

Reservations for the charity dinner were due last week, but donations may still be sent to Kate Sigel (MDA) at 1100 N. Dearborn St., Suite 703, Chicago, 60611.

Checks should be made out to the Muscular Dystrophy Association, with Bistro 110 in the memo.

Muscular dystrophy is a neuromuscular disease that causes progressive weakness and degeneration of muscles that control movement.

Each year, MDA supports nearly 90 summer camps across the country for children with the disease.

For information about the MDA and its summer camps, visit mda.org/clinics/camp/.

For information about the fundraising effort, contact Kate Sigel at katesigel@gmail.com or (630) 603-2098.