NEW ORLEANS (press release) – Hogs for the Cause (“Hogs”) is honored to announce it has surpassed an astounding $10 million in grants and contributions since its inception in 2009. Hogs is a New Orleans-based non-profit that provides financial assistance to families across the country with children undergoing treatment for brain cancer. Organizers have presented over 1,800 direct family grants, totaling $2.3 million, and have formed strategic partnerships with hospitals nationwide to aid families with children diagnosed with ailments other than brain cancer.
“We raised $7,500 our first year and thought that was an amazing number to give,” said Becker Hall, co-founder and CEO. “Never could we imagine that 15 years later, we’d surpass $10 million in giving!” In addition to family grants, Hogs has contributed to nine beneficiaries across the Southeast totaling nearly $9 million, and currently operates as one of the premier funding sources for pediatric brain cancer outreach services.
Hogs for the Cause beneficiaries include Children’s Hospital New Orleans, Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, Children’s of Mississippi in Jackson, Prisma Health Children’s Hospital – Upstate in Greenville, SC, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Ochsner Hospital for Children, Medical University of South Carolina Children’s Hospital, The Cure Starts Now (pediatric brain cancer research grants), and Children’s Hospital of Atlanta Scottish Rite.
Most recently, Hogs announced a $1.5 million gift to Children’s of Mississippi for the renovation of a 22,500 square foot “Hogs for the Cause Wing” dedicated to inpatient beds for children battling cancer and blood disorders and a $1 million contribution to Prisma Health Children’s Hospital – Upstate for an inpatient unit at the Greenville, SC hospital to treat children, adolescents, young adults, and adults with childhood hematologic and oncologic diseases. In 2022, Hogs broke ground on a Hogs House on Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital campus in Baton Rouge with a $2.25 million donation. The 6,900-square-foot facility will serve as on-campus housing for any family from the Baton Rouge area or other regions of the state who have a child receiving ongoing healthcare treatment at the children’s hospital.
“It has always been our mission to provide financial relief to families so that they can focus on their child’s health and not the variable expenses that continue to add up during treatment,” said Rene Louapre, co-founder and COO of Hogs. “As our fundraisers continue to grow, we can reach more and more families, but the need also continues to grow as pediatric brain cancer is the leading terminal cancer in children in the U.S. So, we can’t stop now.”
On the National Day of Giving, Nov. 28, Hogs for the Cause will continue fundraising to carry on its important work. To contribute to Hogs for the Cause, please visit HogsForTheCause.org
Hogs for the Cause will celebrate its sixteenth year on April 5 – 6, 2024, on the grounds of the UNO Lakefront Arena. Hosting a two-day event comprised of a highly competitive barbeque competition, music by regional and national talent, and outstanding fundraising, the organization has been named one of the best food festivals in the country.
