Blog for the Cause
Since his start at Barstool Sports, Mintzy has been screaming from the rooftops about the event "Hogs for the Cause." This is an electric event where all proceeds go to an even better cause. While the BBQ and band lineups are exciting, I wanted to make sure and highlight the origin of this festival and how the kindness of a couple of strangers has impacted so many families lives.
In 2009 there were a couple of friends (Rene Loupre and Becker Hall) who decided to host an impromptu pig roast and grab a keg to go along with it. During their planning they heard about Ben Sarrat Jr., he was a 5-year-old boy who was fighting an incurable form of brain cancer. So they decided to make their pig roast a fundraiser for Ben Jr.’s family.
Ben Jr. and his family were away on their make-a-wish trip so were unable to attend the pig roast but once they got back they were gifted $7,000. Rene and Becker got the opportunity to get to know this sweet boy, his family and also found out how common pediatric brain cancer unfortunately is.
Learning about the family and what they have been through not just emotionally, physically but financially they knew they needed to help. Having so much success with the first pig roast they decided to make it an annual event to help families meet unexpected expenses they face when their child is being treated with pediatric brain cancer.
Ben Jr. passed away in 2010 and with his passing came a tremendous sense of purpose. Hogs has grown every year since raising 2 million dollars last year alone. They now are not just specializing in pediatric brain cancer but helping families with children fighting various unexpected diseases. There’s now a Hog house which is a gorgeous 13 room house in New Orleans conveniently located adjacent to the children’s hospital for families to stay while their children are receiving treatment. All of that is funded by years of hard-working teams slinging fantastic food for an even better cause.
Mintz invited me last year for my first time and I have to give credit where credit is due. Mintzy is right. This is a fantastic festival, where the aroma of smoked meats fills the air, artists are shredding their guitars like pork, and the mix of southern hospitality and charity overflows much like the drinks in everyone's hand.
This year Barstool will have a team (Team Porknoy,) it will consist of a unique blend of chefs and flavors from all over. Starting with Bryan Bingham from Sunbird BBQ in Longview TX, Don Nguyen from Koi BBQ in Houston TX, Tyler Harp from Harp Barbecue KC, Brady Clark from Brisket Country Austin TX, David Bonner from Green Street in Chicago, and we will also have Chef Donnie, Large, Anne, Ben and myself. The festival starts Friday with a great set of bands and rolls all night while the meat smokes and Saturday is tasting awards and more music.
Hopefully, this blog breaks down that this festival is much more than good vibes, tunes, and meats. It started with Ben Jr. but now his life has inspired people he never even got to meet and hopefully, you are one of them. If you can’t hop on a plane and come to New Orleans for the festival click the link below and donate and don’t forget to buy a shirt!