Important: The Aug 1 Cardinals game time has been moved from 3:10pm to 6:15pm. Therefore, the Pike Zeta Chi Alumni group will now be meeting at 3:00pm before the game at Mike Shannon’s Outfield (620 Market Street). The annual meeting time has NOT changed. The annual meeting will be held at 10:00am at the Hilton at the Ballpark. We encourage all alumni to attend this important meeting about the efforts to re-colonize the Zeta Chi Chapter at Missouri State University.

There are a limited number of tickets still available for the Aug. 1 Cardinals game. The deadline to purchase your tickets is July 24th. If you wish to attend, please return the reservation form included in the mailed invitation or complete the second page of the attached document.
Cardinals Tickets will be distributed at the annual meeting to those that have sent in the RSVP form.

In addition, we have a block of room reserved at the Hilton at the Ballpark. The room block expires on July 17th. To reserve your room, call 314-421-1776 and ask for the Zeta Chi Alumni Association rate or use the following link…
http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/groups/personalized/STLBVHF-ZCA-20090731/index.jhtml

I look forward to a great event.

Jeff Counts, St. Louis Area Chairman
Zeta Chi Alumni Association

Jim Roebuck, President
Zeta Chi Alumni Association

St. Louis Cardinals Event Reservation Form

It’s time to ask the Zeta Chi alumni for their help with our re colonization efforts. We have 400+ Zeta Chi alumni I can reach in our directory. The re colonization effort is underway and Pi Kappa Alpha will formally present to IFC on our behalf this Fall. I will update everyone on this in greater detail at our Annual meeting July 31-August 2, 2009 and at www.zetachipikes.com.

I need you to respond back to me at jim@jimroebuck.com with the following. This information will be used in our presentation to IFC.

1.)     Have you ever sent Missouri State University any contributions? (i.e. Missouri State Foundation, Bears Fund, School of Business, season tickets etc.)

2.)     If so, describe the contribution.

3.)     Have you returned to campus and lectured or provided support in the classroom.

4.)     Springfield Area Alumni only-If you own and/or operate your own business in Springfield, MO, provide me the name of the business and type of business you have.

This information will be shared with Headquarters and used by them and I during our presentation this Fall. It is important, and your help is needed more than ever. Please send this information directly to me as quickly as possible at jim@jimroebuck.com. Many thanks, more to come.

Jim Roebuck, President
Zeta Chi Alumni

A message from Pam Mays on Bob’s memorial service:

Just finished booking the memorial service for Bob. It will be Sunday, May 31st from 12-5pm at the Stonegate Banquet and Conference Center in Hoffman Estates, IL (website www.thestonegate.com). Please feel free to stop by and have a toast to Bob. I also set aside a block of rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn at a bereavement rate of $69 for either Saturday, Sunday night or both. If someone wants to book a room they only need to mention the “Bob Mays Memorial” to get one of the rooms. Their link is http://www.hiltongardeninn.com/en/gi/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=CHIHEGI. Phil please put this information on the website and send it to anyone else you feel may want it. Martha, can you please send this out to the State Farm folks and Kathy P.can you please be sure our friends get it. My dear family, can you get ahold of everyone in the family that needs the information that I do not have emails for. Thanks again for your help.

Pam

Please read the message from Executive Vice President Justin Buck. In question is legislation that will make donations to Fraternity Housing improvements tax deductible. This is of great interest to us and the timing could not be better. Please select the option best for you and contact your represenatives asking for their support of this legislation. 

Jim Roebuck, President 
Zeta Chi Alumni Association 

Download sample Letter 

Facebook Application 

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Everyone please keep Bob and Pam in your thoughts and prayers. This is the latest from Pam sent to me from Phil Lacy: 

Phil, 
Sorry that you didn’t get the update from Saturday, but here we go again: 
Bob is finally home! That was a long, long 30 days! The equipment arrived Thursday, some home and some to the rehab facility, then Bob was transferred by medivan home on Friday. My Mom and Dad arrived here from Phoenix on Thursday night so they are staying with us this first week to help us get settled. We have put a hospital bed and the equipment in our family room on the first floor since he is still paralyzed on the left side and cannot stand, walk or use stairs. Our friend Scott found a portable wheelchair ramp on Ebay and installed it Sunday, so we can at least get him outside, but since he cannot get in and out of a vehicle I will have to rent a wheelchair accessible van when we need to get to an appointment. Alex changed his mind about going to New Jersey for Spring break and he arrives home today for a week. Our friend Mary called her hair stylist and he came to the house to give Bob a haircut and a shave, what a huge difference! He has cut his pain meds down considerably and feels better already! He lost about 17 pounds, but now that he’s home eating my food (and my Mom’s) again he will hopefully regain some of it. A nurse will visit twice a week to draw blood and do vitals, physical therapy is scheduled to come 3 times a week and we are still awaiting word from occupational and speech therapy. 

Our doctor emailed me yesterday to inform us that the tumor has progressed even more toward the brain stem and there are new tumors on the other side of Bob’s brain. But Bob has decided not to give up yet and we are going downtown tomorrow for the experimental drug infusion and starting a new chemo that will be given orally each night at home. We all know his “goal” date and he refuses to give up until he accomplishes that. We have had lots of visitors since arriving home, with many more are scheduled to come. Everyone is welcome! And a huge thank you again for all of the help and support from everyone, little things like finding things I need and making phone calls make a huge difference, not to mention the food and cards that have arrived. Everything continues to help lift his spirits and mine and it is truly overwhelming. The fight continues! 

Pam

Catch up with other Pi Kappa Alpha alumni from the Zeta Chi Chapter and enjoy Cardinals baseball. 

Saturday, August 1

Busch Stadium. St. Louis, MO

3:10 Game Starts 

Tickets: $25 per person 

The Zeta Chi Alumni Association has reserved a group of 43 tickets (Infield Terrace Reserve) for an exciting MLB game against the Houston Astros. The group will be meeting at 1:30pm before the game at Mike Shannon’s Outfield (620 Market Street). To reserve your tickets, please complete the event form below (Click to download a PDF) and send a check for $25 per ticket to the address provided. 

Click Here to download PDF File

Below is an update I received from Phil Lacy on Bob Mays status today, March 18, 2009. Please keep Bob, Pam and their boys in your thoughts.

For those of you not getting updates on Bob’s condition from the Caring-bridge website, here is the latest.

Bob had an appointment at the hospital either the 4th or 5th of March to get an updated MRI. He had been experiencing seizures following his chemo treatments that had impacted his left side so he was not able to walk real well so they were moving him through the hospital in a wheel chair. After the MRI they were helping him get back in the wheel chair and ended up dislocating his left hip. This is the same hip he had replaced 9 years ago. They rushed him to the ER and pop-ed his hip back in but now Pam couldn’t take him home because he could not walk at all. He spent several days in the hospital waiting for rehab nurses to evaluate him and determine the next course of action to rehab his hip… The following Monday, they dislocated his hip again moving him from the bathroom to his bed. They have since moved him by ambulance to another hospital where he had his hip replacement 9 years ago to evaluate whether he needed surgery to repair the hip. This hospital also has an excellent neurology department and they agreed to evaluate his cancer. On Thursday they decided to go ahead and surgically repair his hip. Without this he would be bed ridden for his remaining days. On Friday they put a screen in an artery close to the groin area to minimize the risk of a clot going to his heart. The surgery was scheduled for Monday. He came through the surgery fine but now there are other problems. On Saturday the neurologist did a 3 1/2 hour MRI that revealed the tumor has grown and spread to his brain stem. This all has happened since the last MRI 11 days ago that had only indicated that the tumor had grown. This is a very aggressive form of cancer. Pam met with Bob’s oncology doctor yesterday to discuss his options. The neurologist wants to perform another gamma knife (high dose radiation treatment) immediately to try and slow down the cancer but his oncologist was against it. By yesterday Bob had lost feeling along his left side meaning he can’t walk. He decided to go ahead and have the gamma knife this morning anyway but this will likely be his last treatment. He can’t take anymore chemo. His two sons that are going to school out of town all came in for the weekend and were with their dad as well as the youngest son that is still at home. Robert the oldest went back to school and the middle son is staying with Pam to give her strength during the gamma knife treatment this morning.

Several of you have mentioned trying to get up to see Bob. He will likely be in the hospital for a few days, beyond that I don’t know where he will be. He is in the Neurological and Orthopedic Institute in Chicago at 4501 N. Winchester Ave, Chicago, IL 60640

Bob is exhausted not to mention the pain and discomfort of all the various medical procedures. His hope and goal is to make it to May to have his middle son graduate from high school (he is in a military high school in Camden, SC).

I was suppose to see him yesterday up in Chicago in conjunction with a business meeting but my client cancelled the meeting late last week so I’m going to try and get up there the second week in April. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers and I’ll try and send you and update as I get them from Pam.

Below is an update I received from Phil Lacy on Bob Mays status today, March 18, 2009. Please keep Bob, Pam and their boys in your thoughts. 

For those of you not getting updates on Bob’s condition from the Caring-bridge website, here is the latest. 
Bob had an appointment at the hospital either the 4th or 5th of March to get an updated MRI. He had been experiencing seizures following his chemo treatments that had impacted his left side so he was not able to walk real well so they were moving him through the hospital in a wheel chair. After the MRI they were helping him get back in the wheel chair and ended up dislocating his left hip. This is the same hip he had replaced 9 years ago. They rushed him to the ER and pop-ed his hip back in but now Pam couldn’t take him home because he could not walk at all. He spent several days in the hospital waiting for rehab nurses to evaluate him and determine the next course of action to rehab his hip… The following Monday, they dislocated his hip again moving him from the bathroom to his bed. They have since moved him by ambulance to another hospital where he had his hip replacement 9 years ago to evaluate whether he needed surgery to repair the hip. This hospital also has an excellent neurology department and they agreed to evaluate his cancer. On Thursday they decided to go ahead and surgically repair his hip. Without this he would be bed ridden for his remaining days. On Friday they put a screen in an artery close to the groin area to minimize the risk of a clot going to his heart. The surgery was scheduled for Monday. He came through the surgery fine but now there are other problems. On Saturday the neurologist did a 3 1/2 hour MRI that revealed the tumor has grown and spread to his brain stem. This all has happened since the last MRI 11 days ago that had only indicated that the tumor had grown. This is a very aggressive form of cancer. Pam met with Bob’s oncology doctor yesterday to discuss his options. The neurologist wants to perform another gamma knife (high dose radiation treatment) immediately to try and slow down the cancer but his oncologist was against it. By yesterday Bob had lost feeling along his left side meaning he can’t walk. He decided to go ahead and have the gamma knife this morning anyway but this will likely be his last treatment. He can’t take anymore chemo. His two sons that are going to school out of town all came in for the weekend and were with their dad as well as the youngest son that is still at home. Robert the oldest went back to school and the middle son is staying with Pam to give her strength during the gamma knife treatment this morning. 

Several of you have mentioned trying to get up to see Bob. He will likely be in the hospital for a few days, beyond that I don’t know where he will be. He is in the Neurological and Orthopedic Institute in Chicago at 4501 N. Winchester Ave, Chicago, IL 60640 

Bob is exhausted not to mention the pain and discomfort of all the various medical procedures. His hope and goal is to make it to May to have his middle son graduate from high school (he is in a military high school in Camden, SC). 

I was suppose to see him yesterday up in Chicago in conjunction with a business meeting but my client cancelled the meeting late last week so I’m going to try and get up there the second week in April. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers and I’ll try and send you and update as I get them from Pam.