Press Release
Pitmasters Aaron Siegel and Taylor Garrigan of Home Team BBQ and Anthony DiBernardo of Swig & Swine BBQ not only share a passion for smoked meats and the Lowcountry BBQ business, but are also dedicated to giving back to families battling pediatric cancer. The restaurants are known for their collaboration on community events and fundraisers such as Holy Smokes BBQ Festival and Home Team BBQ's annual Rock the Block event. Through these events, the pitmasters have donated over $250,000 to Hogs for the Cause, a non-profit providing assistance to families with children battling pediatric brain cancer.
On Sept. 14th, Aaron Siegel of Home Team BBQ and Anthony DiBernardo of Swig & Swine BBQ joined Becker Hall, CEO of Hogs for the Cause, and the Prisma Health Children's Hospital team in Greenville to announce Hogs for the Cause's $1 million leading gift to the new pediatric cancer and blood disorders unit at Prisma Health Children's Hospital-Upstate. This 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 what can be lengthy and repeated hospitalizations.
As part of the announcement, Home Team BBQ catered lunch for the Prisma Health Children's Hospital team out of their Laurens Road location, part of the company’s ongoing efforts to thank nurses and healthcare professionals in our communities.
Children's Hospital Medical Director Dr. Robin LaCroix said, “Hogs for the Cause's visionary $1 million 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.”
Hogs for the Cause began as a small, backyard pig roast in 2009 to raise money for a young boy with pediatric brain cancer. It has now grown into one of the most highly acclaimed barbeque competitions and music festivals in the country. The funds from the festival allow the organization to help thousands of families through direct grants and funding programming at children's hospitals across the Southeast. Since its inception, the organization has made grants totaling $2.1 million in direct grants to families battling pediatric brain cancer and $7.3 million to hospital programs and other public charities.
Owner and Pitmaster at Home Team BBQ, Aaron Siegel, said “When we first attended Hogs for the Cause in 2014 we could have never imagined being part of a gift of this scale that will surely make a huge impact on families in the state of South Carolina and beyond for years to come. This gift is a culmination of years of hard work for our team and furthers our goal to always give back to the communities in which we inhabit.”
“From the early days at Home Team BBQ, we have turned our focus toward giving back to our community. It's all about supporting the folks who support us. With our new location on Lauren's Road in Greenville, it feels really good to spread the love in the Upstate,” said Siegel. The Greenville location opened in the spring of 2021 at Holland Park on Laurens Road along the extension of the Swamp Rabbit Trail. “Having a restaurant here in Greenville makes this project even more personal and tangible for us. We were incredibly moved by this need and wanted to help. We know it will be a huge source of pride for our employees in Greenville and across all of our locations.”
Since becoming involved with the Hogs for the Cause mission in 2014, Home Team BBQ has donated over $450,000 to the non-profit. This total comes from years of fundraising events including Home Team BBQ's Rock the Block party which occurs annually in front of the Downtown Charleston shop. Rock the Block will be celebrating its 6th year in 2024 and features local/regional chefs and pitmasters serving up street food and also showcases live music from local and national acts.
After years of participating and fundraising for Hogs for the Cause, Home Team BBQ and Swig & Swine combined their efforts with friends Joe Norton and John Davis to create Holy Smokes BBQ Festival in 2021 with the . “Teaming up with our friends at Home Team BBQ to host Holy Smokes and increase our impact in the community has certainly been a life-changing experience,” said Anthony DiBernardo, pitmaster and owner of Swig & Swine.
Holy Smokes Lowcountry Barbecue Festival will be returning for its 3rd annual event on Saturday, November 11th at Riverfront Park. Over 40 of the country's most renowned pitmasters and chefs will be gathering once again in North Charleston to celebrate the culture, history, and traditions of American barbecue. To purchase tickets and for more information on the full culinary lineup, head to Holysmokeschs.com. This year's festival will benefit Hogs for the Cause, Ronald McDonald House Charities, MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children Hospital, and as the event falls on Veteran's Day will also benefit Friends of Fisher House Charleston.
