Hogs for the Cause has announced a substantial contribution towards a Hogs House on Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital campus in Baton Rouge.
An initial gift of $500,000 towards the organization’s commitment to donate $2.25 million for building construction was made during a check presentation on Feb. 10 at Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital.
The Hogs House will serve as on-campus housing for families who have a child receiving ongoing health care treatment at the children’s hospital.
Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital serves children from every parish in Louisiana, as well as many from Mississippi, Arkansas, Texas and other states. The average length of stay in the hospital is four days, with many children visiting routinely due to complex medical conditions.
The first Hogs House was built in New Orleans in 2017.
“Our New Orleans Hogs House has been at full capacity since we opened the doors,” said Becker Hall, co-founder and chief executive officer of Hogs for the Cause. “It definitely proves there is a great need for this type of housing. The beneficial impact a Hogs House has on families is the greatest incentive we have for fundraising. We’ve made a good start, but we have a long way to go.”
Hogs for the Cause is currently raising funds in Baton Rouge.
“It’s important to know that all money raised through fundraising in the Baton Rouge area stays in the Baton Rouge area,” said Katie Bliss, Hogs Development Director. “We are primarily concentrating on funding the Hogs House.”
Hogs for the Cause was founded in New Orleans but is active across the country. Hogs teams from coast to coast raise money throughout the year, and financial grants are dispensed to families in need regardless of where they live.
“Getting outside of the hospital setting allows families to connect with other families who share the same situation,” said Dr. Trey Dunbar, president of Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health. “This family residence will lift more than the financial burden from these families; it will provide a place of emotional healing, as well.”
The layout of the Hogs House has been thoughtfully designed, including community rooms that allow for socializing and fellowship.
Hogs for the Cause, which began as a pig roast with a few friends hoping to raise money for a young boy with pediatric brain cancer in 2009, has grown into one of the most highly acclaimed barbecue competitions and music festivals in the country. The funds from the festival allow the organization to help thousands of families through direct grants and funding programming at children’s hospitals.
Since its inception, the organization has made grants totaling $1.8 million in direct grants to families battling pediatric brain cancer and $4 million to hospital programs and other public charities.
For more information, visit hogsforthecause.com.