Fathers of Pi Beta Phi sorority members soon will receive a T-shirt with a special message: “I survived Pi Phi Dad’s Day 2007.”

Some of the dads and many of the women of Pi Beta Phi last weekend came down with an unknown illness. Symptoms included upset stomachs, vomiting and diarrhea.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment is investigating and, as yet, hasn’t found a source of the illness. The probe has included Vermont Street Barbecue, Abe & Jake’s Landing and the sorority’s kitchen, but it could expand further.

Sorority members and their fathers ate a Saturday lunch at Abe & Jake’s that was catered by Vermont Street Barbecue.

Vermont Street Barbecue owner Shad Woodworth said he has no reason to believe the illness would be traced to his food.

KDHE spokesman Joe Blubaugh said the number of people who were potentially exposed – up to 240 – complicates the investigation.

KDHE inspectors reported finding two “critical violations” at Vermont Street Barbecue when it was inspected Tuesday afternoon, but none that would indicate a cause for last weekend’s illness. Both violations were corrected immediately. An inspection about the same time at Abe & Jake’s found no critical violations. Inspectors also visited the sorority’s kitchen, but they found nothing to indicate a cause.

Woodworth doesn’t believe his restaurant is at fault.

“No other customers from our restaurant that day have come down sick,” he said, adding that food for the sorority’s meal came from common sources that also were fed to others.

Meg Stewart, Pi Beta Phi president, said the sorority was grateful the illness wasn’t worse. She said a few members were sent to a hospital.

A review of the past year’s inspection reports for Abe & Jake’s, Pi Beta Phi and Vermont Street Barbecue showed that Abe & Jake’s was the only place without critical violations in the past year. However, the previous critical violations at both the restaurant and the sorority were corrected while the inspector was onsite.