BATON ROUGE – On Feb. 14, Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital and Hogs for the Cause broke ground on the Family Support Home, which will serve as on-campus housing for families who have a child receiving ongoing healthcare treatment at the hospital. The average length of stay at Our Lady of the Lake is four days.
“Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital brings world-class, lifesaving care to the children of our community each and every day,” said Chuck Spicer, the hospital’s president. “The Family Support Home and Hogs for the Cause will help relieve the burden on families of finding housing when seeking care at Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital.”
Within walking distance of the hospital’s campus, the Family Support Home will have 12 suites, a communal dining lounge, a guest kitchen, a laundry area and other amenities. It is designed to create a positive and calming environment to help patients and their families focus on treatment.
“The Baton Rouge community has been faithful to our organization over the years, and we are thrilled to partner with Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital on this project,” said Becker Hall, co-founder and chief executive officer of Hogs for the Cause. “We hope that the Family Support Home will lessen families’ financial, emotional, and physical burdens while they focus on the healing of their children.”
Hogs for the Cause began in 2009 as a pig roast organized by a few friends to raise money for a young boy with pediatric brain cancer. It has grown into a major barbecue competition and music festival. Through festival proceeds and local fundraising efforts, Hogs for the Cause has pledged $2.25 million toward the construction of the Family Support Home at Our Lady of the Lake.
“We are grateful for the support of the Hogs for the Cause organization,” said Ann Marie Marmande, Our Lady of the Lake Foundation president. “The commitment they have made to ensure access to housing during extended care is extraordinary and will have a far reaching impact on many of the children and families entrusted to our care.”
