NEW ORLEANS (press release) – On Sept. 14, at Prisma Health Children’s Hospital-Upstate in Greenville, South Carolina, Hogs for the Cause announced a $1 Million gift to the hospital. The donation launched Prisma Health’s fundraising campaign to raise $6 million for a new pediatric cancer and blood disorders unit that will combine “whole family care” with exceptional clinical expertise and provide more treatment space in the Upstate. In honor of the lead gift, the unit will be named the Prisma Health Children’s Hospital—Upstate Hogs for the Cause Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Unit. Construction will begin in early 2024 and take approximately two years to complete. The announcement comes during September’s Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
“Today, we fulfill a dream that continues to grow greater than we could have imagined,” said Becker Hall, Hogs for the Cause Co-Founder and CEO. “This state-of-the-art pediatric oncology and hematology unit will have a massive impact on families in South Carolina and neighboring states. We are extremely proud to partner with Prisma Health and the local South Carolina barbecue restaurants helping support this phenomenal project.”
As part of the announcement, and in true Hogs for the Cause style, BBQ was served by Home Team BBQ. South Carolina restaurants participating in Hogs for the Cause include Home Team BBQ – which has restaurants in Charleston, Greenville, and Columbia – and Swig & Swine restaurants in the Lowcountry. The restaurants have worked together to produce two Charleston community events benefiting Hogs for the Cause, Holy Smokes BBQ Festival, and Home Team’s Rock the Block. Over the last two years, the two festivals have donated over $250,000 to Hogs for the Cause.
Children’s Hospital medical director Dr. Robin LaCroix said, “Hogs for the Cause’s visionary $1 million gift serves as an inspiring example of how private philanthropy can transform healthcare and bring hope to countless families in need. This gift is a testament to the remarkable generosity and dedication of the Hogs for Cause organization and its CEO, Becker Hall. We are grateful to them and our community for the incredible support and belief in our mission.”
The unit will provide care for children and adolescents with cancer, bleeding disorders, and sickle cell disease. Patient family suggestions were incorporated into the innovative design to help families feel more at home during lengthy and repeated hospitalizations.
“I’m thrilled that we can take this next leap forward by creating a space that is literally custom-built for and by families,” said Dr. Aniket Saha, the unit’s medical director. “This specially-designed space will better blend family care with clinical care, helping reduce stress and offer a positive healing environment that nourishes the mind, body, and soul.”
