Utah Utes football: Fan is game for almost anything to see Utes

What would you do to get to the Sugar Bowl?

Robert Gardiner has been hosting a string of events in recent weeks to raise funds so he can go to New Orleans for the match between the Utes and the Alabama Crimson Tide. Earning money by offering massages, participating in sing-alongs and just plain panhandling, Gardiner has picked up what he needs to get to the game.

And now he's fundraising for his team.

"I was talking with my friends, and I was worried about how I'd get out to the game," Gardiner said. "But I told them I was willing to get there by any means possible, and they just said, 'Let's make it happen."'

For Gardiner's friends, "by any means" gave them some leeway in generating ideas to get Gardiner to the game.

They started a blog and sent out press releases to local media. Next, they sent Gardiner to the public.

In recent weeks he has given massages to the patrons of Xcel Fitness at the rate of a dollar a minute. He paraded through the parking lots at The Gateway with a sandwich sign reading, "Send me to the Sugar Bowl, BCS or Bust, Go Utes!" Gardiner has also rented space on his body for business advertising during the game. Ten spaces are still available.

On Monday, a woman was able to win a date with Gardiner by bidding $50 during an auction.

"He has a good sense of humor to go along with all this," said Jamie Stagg, an organizer of the fundraiser and Gardiner's friend. "He's put his neck on the line and is jumping through all the hoops he needs to get to the Sugar Bowl."

For the past two years, Gardiner said, he has been a Ute season ticket holder and has participated in tailgate parties for every home game. For Gardiner, getting to New Orleans is something he believes any dedicated fan would have to do.

"(Gardiner) is a bleed-red fan," said Marshall Harley, a friend. "When he heard the Utes were going to the Sugar Bowl, he was ready to do anything to be there too."

The money that Gardiner has raised will help him pay for a Greyhound bus ticket to New Orleans, food, drinks, lodging and a plane ticket back to Salt Lake City. During his massage event, Gardiner raised the last of the necessary dollars for his trip. Anything beyond that $1,600 will be donated to the University of Utah Athletics Department, Stagg said. Gardiner has raised about $1,800 to date.

"The more fans like me who'd give anything to see the game boosts the team's spirits," Gardiner said. "I just hope I can do my little part to bring the team closer to victory."

Gardiner will document parts of his journey for contributors. He will keep a journal of his experiences along the route to New Orleans, and he'll provide captioned photos of the people he meets on the bus.

When Gardiner's trip to the Sugar Bowl is over, he plans to release a video documentary of his fundraising efforts and experiences.

For more information or to contribute to Gardiner's Bowl Challenge, visit bertochallenge.blogspot.com.

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E-mail: cnorlen@desnews.com