Growing up in Irvine, Calif., lifelong Angels fans Colin, ’02, and Kyle O’Grady, ’07, dreamed of making a trek to visit all 30 major league baseball parks. When an aunt died from lymphoma in 2001 and a friend was later diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease, the brothers decided to make the trip for charity. They’re determined to raise $30,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through their website, 30gamesfor30k.com.
“Baseball is such a huge part of our lives,” says Colin, a high school English teacher in Alexandria, Va. “We wanted to use that passion—and any attention that would come about because of our trip—to raise money and awareness for blood cancers.”
The O’Gradys set off the day after Kyle’s graduation for an Oakland A’s game. By Day 36, about two-thirds of the way through their journey, they’d logged 11,500 miles. They’d seen some 230 innings—minus three they missed in Detroit when they lost track of time zones. Kyle figured he’d eaten 18 hot dogs, including three at $1 Hot Dog Night in Tampa Bay. (Colin swore off them after the first week.)
The brothers paid for their expenses—from $48 apiece to sit in the Wrigley Field bleachers to $2.50 for Washington Nationals nosebleeds—so all donations went to their cause. By late July, they’d raised more than $5,000. They plan to keep pursuing their goal even after the trip finale: an Angels game on August 10.
