The Women of Hogs for the Cause

For New Orleans architect Laura Filipek, a weekend barbeque means firing up the Weber kettle grill and hanging with a few of her best girlfriends.  For Leslie Scott, a restaurant owner in Yazoo City, Mississippi, barbeque is more series business, a family tradition that goes back five generations and has taken her across the U.S. competing is some of the country's biggest cook-offs.  

 

At this year’s Hogs for the Cause, they’ll both be competing against a field of mostly male competitors to bring home the bacon at the annual fundraiser and cook-off.

 

Hogs for the Cause was started in 2009 as a fundraiser to provide help for families with children being treated for pediatric brain cancer.  Since that first event, the party has grown significantly, meaning more money raised, more attendees, and more serious barbeque competition.  Last year, Hogs raised $100,000 as 7,000 people came out to see 50 teams battling it out in categories such as Whole Hog, Ribs, Shoulder, and “Porkpourri,” which allows competitors to get creative with their swine.

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