Grilling for Good

Women contain multitudes. The women in Marsh McLennan Agency (MMA) Employee Benefits Compliance Officer Laura Clayman’s circle are attorneys, architects, executives, medical professionals, business owners, managers, wives, moms, daughters, sisters, and survivors—Clayman herself is a former litigator. As diverse as the women are, they share a common bond: a passion for helping children with brain cancer. And they have an unexpected way to show their support. Clayman and company are members of an all-female grilling team—Sweet Swine O’ Mine. The team donates their time and secret recipes at fundraising events throughout the year with all proceeds going to an organization called Hogs for the Cause.  

Hogs for the Cause is a nonprofit that provides financial assistance to the families of children undergoing treatment for brain cancer at hospitals across the country. Since 2009, Hogs for the Cause has distributed more than $15 million through patient-support programs, including individual family grants and on-campus hospital housing and recovery rooms in multiple locations. The organization’s fundraising efforts culminate in a music festival and barbecue competition in which more than 80 teams come up with creative concepts to entice festivalgoers to purchase their signature dishes. All proceeds are donated to the cause. 

Sweet Swine O’ Mine is one of the original teams. In 2025, they celebrated their 15th year at Hogs for the Cause as the only all-female team competing in the sell-out event.

Powered by smoke and patience

For Clayman and the 25 to 30 women who make up Sweet Swine O’ Mine, it all began with a competition on a much smaller scale.

“In 2010, my friend’s boyfriend was bragging to her about his grilling skills, and she replied, ‘I can do that too.’ That teammate is also a cancer survivor,” explains Clayman. “She gathered a small group of us together and now, many, many years later, we still go out there every year, put on a wonderful party and raise a lot of money for families of kids who have brain cancer.”

The competition has four main categories: ribs, shoulder/butt, whole hog, and “porkpourri” (anything pork-centric). Sweet Swine O’ Mine competes in all four—their signature dish is a Zapp’s pie with Zapp’s potato chips (a local New Orleans brand) topped with smoked pork, cheese, sour cream, and barbecue sauce.  

“While we aren’t the largest money-makers, we’re one of the teams who keep the lights on and help this event keep going year after year. And that’s something that I’m very proud of,” Clayman says.

The cause has also taken on a more personal meaning for Sweet Swine O’ Mine. The son of one of the members was a previous recipient of a Hogs for the Cause grant.

“He was three when he was diagnosed. He is now 17 and only has to get scans once a year,” Clayman says.

“It’s a wonderful real-life story, and it really brings it home for us. This kid is the reason why Hogs for the Cause exists. We have watched him grow up. In addition, the mother of that 17-year-old is a breast cancer survivor. We have women on our team who have survived what sometimes seem like insurmountable challenges,” she adds.

Respect the process 

Clayman has served in various team roles over the years, but has recently taken on mascot duties, which include putting on an inflatable pig costume and rallying festival attendees—some of whom are her MMA colleagues who have come out to support the mission—toward Sweet Swine O’ Mine’s booth and giving hugs to the kids who come running her way. She’s known as the “get-it-done” person who floats around and helps out wherever it’s needed.

That same attitude extends to her role at MMA. After several years as a litigator, Clayman was ready for a change. She wanted a role that would fit her analytical nature—but without the fight that litigation often brings. When someone suggested insurance, she knew she was onto something.

Clayman joined the Employee Benefits Compliance team at MMA in 2015. She works to educate employers on regulatory requirements and finds solutions to streamline compliance. Much like her role on Sweet Swine O’ Mine, Clayman is a Jill-of-all-trades, never shying away from a new task or project.

“I’ve evolved to be the person who helps in all of the ways,” she says.

Whether she’s at her day job or dressed as a pig and roaming festival grounds in support of her team, Clayman is not one to shy away from a little hard work. So, when that work benefits families going through the unimaginable, Clayman is one of the first to roll up her sleeves and jump right in.

“Tenure and title aren’t important during crunch time. In the end, the work needs to get done. Don’t wait for somebody else, don’t say it’s not my job. If you truly care about the project, then there’s no hesitation.  We all have the same goal of success and that often takes all of us stepping in and doing the work.”