Back in 2009 two friends decided to host a pig roast to raise money to help a family in need, and were able to give $7,500. This year, the organization that grew from this benevolent impulse brought in $5.25 million.
This weekend saw the 17th annual Hogs of the Cause barbecue cook-off and festival, which drew a sold-out crowd and smashed its own fundraising record of a year before by nearly $1 million.
For two days Hogs for the Cause turned the grounds around the UNO Lakefront Arena into a festive landscape of barbecue, music and New Orleans good times. It was also a showcase of determined generosity and service to others.
The organization supports families dealing with pediatric brain cancer and since Becker Hall and Rene Louapre started it with that first pig roast it has become the most important funder for this work nationally…