New Orleans, LA – On Saturday, May 19, 2018 from 3:00PM – 8:00PM, The Drew Rodrigue Foundation will be hosting the 8th Annual Bugs & Brew for Drew Crawfish Cook-off and Beer Festival.  Located on Fulton Street, the family-friendly festival will be featuring a crawfish boiling competition, beer, live music from the local Honey Island Swamp Band, Me and My Friends, and Soul Project NOLA, as well as children’s entertainment. The Drew Rodrigue Foundation is a local non-profit which celebrates heroes in the face of adversity, in honor of Drew Rodrigue, a local football coach who battled against cancer.

Growing rapidly in its first few years, 15 hospitality teams from around the region will compete for the titles of “Best Crawfish” and “Best Lagniappe.” Bugs & Brew also features a culinary aspect to the event by offering crawfish-inspired dishes from DTB, Bacobar, Rock N Sake, Manning’s, and more. The event is also hosted by Harrah’s Casino New Orleans, with sponsorship from Yuengling and Where Y’At Magazine.

This year is a particularly special one for The Drew Rodrigue Foundation, as all proceeds from Bugs & Brew will benefit a very close and personal friend, Carl Schaubhut, chef/owner of DTB and Bacobar.  Carl grew up in New Orleans and was part of a tight knit group of friends, one of whom bears the name of this Foundation.  He is a remarkable chef, husband and father of two beautiful children.  For the past five years, Carl has been battling stage 4, incurable adenocarcinoma in the GE junction.  After multiple rounds of chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, and clinical trials, he is now at the point where his options are being limited more each day.  With the mounting medical bills, and treatments interfering with his time in the kitchen, the Foundation has offered its dear friend financial assistance in the hopes to “buy” him some more time to beat the odds.

“My husband Drew embraced life and believed that cancer would not win each day,” said Mary Kathryn Rodrigue, Chairman of the Board of the Drew Rodrigue Foundation. “This event is in homage to that passion for life, an opportunity for us to change the lives of others, while celebrating moments with friends and family.”

Tickets can be purchased in advance for $50 until April 30th; and thereafter for $60. Also known as the Cajun Pass, this all-inclusive ticket gets you complimentary crawfish, restaurant dishes, wine, beer and specialty cocktails in designated VIP areas. Individual food and beverage tickets will also be sold at the event for those with smaller appetites.

About The Drew Rodrigue Foundation

Formed in 2009, the Drew Rodrigue Foundation’s mission is to change the lives of individuals who have stared their adversities in the face and have bravely decided to suit up and march onto the playing field of life, showing others that giving up is not an option.

Recently, the Drew Rodrigue Foundation has been devoting all proceeds from Bugs and Brew events to support its ongoing project to help build both the inpatient and outpatient oncology playrooms in the new freestanding Our Lady of the Lake Children's Hospital located in Baton Rouge.  The Foundation remains committed to raising $100,000 over five years in support of this cause, which will resume with the 2019 event.  The playrooms will provide much needed play, distraction and education for oncology patients in the new children’s hospital and adjoining clinics.  It will also include an area for patients and family members to receive supportive counseling and education, as well as enrichment opportunities with community partnerships.

More information about The Drew Rodrigue Foundation and its current and past initiatives can be found by visiting www.drfnola.org.

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Media contacts: 
Marel Hinners/Lauren Busch
Brustman Carrino Public Relations
nola@brustmancarrinopr.com
305-573-0658