This summer our chapter was struck by the news that one of our brothers, Mike Bakutes, will be on medical leave this upcoming semester. He was recently found to have a tumor in his jaw. He was diagnosed with Juvenile Ossifying Fibroma, which is a rare and aggressive tumor that could quickly spread to the rest of his mouth and possibly further. He now faces sixth months of grueling surgical treatments and long recovery periods. He has already withdrawn from the upcoming fall semester and has optimistic hopes of returning for the spring semester. This long process is beginning in the next few weeks.
Mike is more than just a brother of our fraternity. He is loyal friend and a young man widely respected by the University of Miami community. Those who have had the opportunity to get to know him have grown to love his warm and optimistic personality. He is a positive influence around our fraternity house as well as the University. While we are in shock, we all care deeply for Mike and are not willing to sit idly by.
We will be holding a fundraising event entitled, “Spike for Mike,” a charity sand volleyball tournament. This event will be taking place on Sunday, October 3rd at the Sigma Chi house. It will be a tournament open to all members of the University of Miami Community. There will be a small entry fee for this tournament in hopes of raising money. Half of the amount we raise will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Race For the Cure, a charity chosen by the Bakutes family as both of his grandmothers are breast cancer survivors. The other half will be given directly to the Bakutes family to assist them with their sizeable upcoming medical costs. We are also seeking donations for this cause from anyone generous enough to donate. Our chapter would very much appreciate any help you can offer Mike and the Bakutes family, as well as the Komen Foundation. A donation page is available on our website here, or can be found by clicking on the "Donate" tab under "Spike for Mike." We will also have online registration for the tournament available here, or by clicking "Register for Tournament" under "Spike For Mike." If you are interested in sponsoring the tournament, please contact Gabe Adelman.
Donations can also be made via check (made out to “Sigma Chi Gamma Phi” and with "Mike Bakutes" written in the memo line .) Please send them to:
Sigma Chi - University of Miami (FL)
6100 San Amaro Dr.
Coral Gables, FL, 33146
We greatly appreciate any help you are willing to provide. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, comments, or concerns.
To visit our normal homepage, click "Home" on the sidebar.
