LUCKY you live Hawaii — unless you’re a big-time NFL fan itching to see a game live and in person.
One Hawaii couple isn’t settling for just one game during their mainland trip this fall. They are embarking on an ambitious road trip that will put them in stadiums for 31 games over the course of the 17-week NFL season.
Dr. Lora Bergert and husband Chris Morgan also are hoping their mission of "31 in 17" will draw the support of football fans across the country who can follow their trek on their website (31in17.com) or Facebook and get in the competitive spirit by donating money in the name of their favorite team to Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children’s Campaign for Hawaii’s Children to rebuild and expand the hospital.
"We’re trying to make the trip more meaningful by helping the medical center," said Bergert, head of Kapiolani’s Pediatric Hospitalist Division.
Bergert, who is also an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Hawaii’s John A. Burns School of Medicine, is an avid Minnesota Vikings fan while Morgan roots for the Denver Broncos. They relocated to Hawaii in 2004 when Bergert took the position at Kapiolani. Her husband works as a project manager for the Hawaii branch of Weston Solutions, an environmental, redevelopment and construction firm.
The couple and their dog Dusty, a border collie and Australian shepherd mix, are already on the mainland and will make their first stop at Mile High Stadium as the Broncos host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 9 in the first Sunday night game of the regular season.
The one disappointment in their endeavor is that Bergert will get to see the Vikings play only once, a home clash Oct. 25 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while Morgan will able to see his beloved Broncos in three games.
"How did that happen?" Bergert playfully chided her husband during an interview before they left Aug. 25 for Seattle, where they will buy an RV.
The much-traveled couple met at the University of Wyoming and married in Minneapolis in 1996. After a move to San Diego in 2000, they made their way to the islands four years later.
"It’s been a long time being away from the mainland," Morgan said. "We’ve talked about doing this kind of trip for some time. It’s something we always wanted to do. We went through a mock schedule last year and found it was doable. So we’re doing it John Madden style, no flying and keeping our feet on the ground."
It should all make for approximately 20,000 miles of driving.
"There is room for a couple of emergency contingencies, but we’re on a really tight schedule," Bergert said.
They’ll travel as far east as MetLife Stadium in the New York metropolitan area for an Oct. 8 game between the Jets and the Houston Texans.
"This trip is just as much about family and friends as it is about football," Morgan said.
"We’ve never been to Washington, D.C.," Bergert said, "so we’re meeting Chris’ parents there." And there will be a big family gathering in Minnesota for the Vikings game in October.
Bergert and Morgan are thankful their employers are allowing them to take more than four months away from their jobs for their "31 in 17" quest.
"They’ve been really flexible for us to take this journey that’s really once-in-a-lifetime," Morgan said.
"This also marks a midlife milestone for us. We’re both turning 40 on this trip."
And just as important, Dusty, who is making his first trip to the mainland, will turn 2 in November.
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On the Net:
» 31in17.com
» www.KapiolaniGift.org
