Beta Theta Pi - University of Minnesota

PAge 3 betA thetA Pi Join Us for a Beta Alumni Holiday Dinner Beta Super Lawyer Rick Morgan '80 to be Featured W e cordially invite you and all Beta brothers to join us for a semi-formal holiday dinner on Thursday, December 15, at the Town & Country Club in St. Paul. The theme will be "2016, a Great Year for Beta Pi!" In addition to the traditional activities of holiday gatherings, this year's event will feature Beta alumnus Rick Morgan '80 as our distinguished speaker. Morgan is a prominent Minnesota lawyer who once served as a live-in advisor to the chapter while attending law school. His speech is titled, "Building a House, Building Men of Principle." Social hour and cocktails will begin at 6 p.m. and dinner will be served at 7 p.m. For attire, a coat and tie is recommended. Business casual is acceptable. Due to the timing of this publication, we apologize for informing you last minute! Please sign up as soon as possible if you'd like to attend. We are also inviting alumni to this event via e-mail, phone calls, and social media. There are three dinner options: London broil steak, chicken, or walleye. All will come with a dinner salad, rolls, seasonal vegetable, and dessert for $40. A cash bar will also be available. Please register online at http:// betapiholidaydinner.eventbrite.com or contact Bert Leach '52 at (952) 593-0821. W hen Doug Zakaras '03 decided to join Beta Theta Pi in 1999, it was the brotherhood, dedication to hard work, and the ability to have fun that appealed to him. Now more than 10 years later, Doug realizes that on top of all that, Beta gave him a chance to grow as a person and discover a career path. "For the first time in my life, I began to feel connected to something much larger than myself," Doug says. "I am proud of the history of Beta Pi, as well as Beta Theta Pi, and the contributions that its members have made to the University of Minnesota and their communities." During college, Doug was an involved member of Beta Pi, serving as treasurer. Some of his favorite memories come from his time living in the chapter house, and he will never forget the fun and support that the brotherhood brought him. The summer of his junior year, Doug attended the Beta Wilderness Challenge outside of Park City, Utah, and permanently moved to Utah shortly after that. After nearly a decade of working in private education, he decided to pursue a career he was more passionate about—physical fitness. Now, Doug trains group fitness classes at a local Park City gym, CrossFit Park City, and travels on most weekends to facilitate courses for CrossFit Inc. He also runs a business that provides strength and conditioning programming and training to youth athletes. "If it weren't for Beta Theta Pi, I would never have moved to Utah and found the career path I'm on today. If I had never attended the Beta Wilderness Challenge, I doubt I would be where I am today," Doug says. Although moving away from the Beta Pi Chapter has made staying involved difficult for Doug, his Beta brothers are still some of his best friends, and he makes an effort to stay in touch with them. "The life experiences from Beta, both good and bad—brotherhood, support, fun, and friendship—are a huge part of who I am. Absolutely I would not be where I am today without Beta." Doug and his wife, Siri, live in Park City, Utah. In his spare time, Doug enjoys skiing, biking, and spending time outside. His e-mail is dzakaras@ gmail.com. THANK YOU, GENEROUS ALUMNI, FOR YOUR SUPPORT W e are grateful to the following alumni who gave in the spring 2016 appeal of our annual giving campaign. The success and achievements of Beta Pi are directly attributed to the support and involvement of its members. The active brothers are grateful for and proud of the donations they receive from alumni. Donations to the annual campaign are separate from the capital campaign, yet very important for the ongoing success of Beta Pi. If an error has been made in recording the amount of your gift(s), or we have mistakenly omitted your gift, we sincerely apologize. If corrections to your giving records are needed, please contact our campaign coordinator at (785) 843-1661. Thank you, again, for your loyal support. Beta Theta Pi Leads to Career for Doug Zakaras '03 James B. Stoltman '57 Charles H. Christensen '58 C. David D. Cooper '61 Irving P. Knelman '71 Bradley E. Carter '81 Michael R. Vieira '11 Kyle L. Mueller '13 It's not too late to send in your gift! Donate online at www.btpbetapi.kintera.org/donate by the end of 2016 to add your name to our list of generous donors.

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