Coaches show support for injured North Putnam player

Wednesday, December 19, 2007
North Putnam coaches (from left) Craig Franklin, Tony Riggen, Wes Peek, Jason Chew and Steve Peek all shaved their heads Tuesday night in support of injured Cougar player Cory Dean. The coaches got their haircuts during a chili supper in support of Dean and his family.

BAINBRIDGE -- Ever since one of their own was injured in an auto accident on Dec. 1, the North Putnam community has rallied in support the young man and his family.

Cory Dean has been in the hospital since he had an accident on the way to catch a bus to a basketball game. Dean remained in critical condition for some time, but has recently made great strides in his condition.

"He's doing very well," said North Putnam basketball coach Wes Peek.

Dean is now at St. Vincent Hospital and beginning physical and speech rehabilitation. On Monday, he even got a visit from Peyton Manning.

His coaches and teammates are most encouraged by Dean's renewed ability to interact with them when they visit.

"Personality-wise, he's Cory," Peek said. "Everybody is pretty optimistic he'll make as close to a full recovery as we can guess right now."

Considering the road to recovery Dean is facing, the financial strain to his family will likely be great. With this in mind, the North Putnam community has organized a number of fundraisers to help defray the costs to the family.

The first of these was selling North Putnam basketball die-cuts for automobile windows. The coaching staff made a deal that if 2,000 of these were sold, they would shave their heads to match Dean's haircut.

North Putnam Principal Alan Zerkel (left) buzzes the hair off North Putnam boys' basketball coach Wes Peek Tuesday night. The entire Cougar basketball coaching staff had their heads shaved in support of injured player Cory Dean, who is in an Indianapolis hospital after a Dec. 1 auto accident.

The goal was reached in five days.

"We sold a ton of them in a really short amount of time," Peek said.

The coaches paid up on their pledge Tuesday night during a chili supper organized for Dean's benefit. As supporters enjoyed their chili before the Cougars took on Riverton Parke, they also got to watch the coaches' hair hit the floor of the middle school commons.

One-by-one, they lined up to have their heads shaved by Principal Alan Zerkel.

Coaches Wes Peek, Jason Chew, Tony Riggen, Steve Peek and Craig Franklin all donned new haircuts to match Dean's.

The reviews were mixed on how the coaches looked with their new hairdos, but no one could say they hadn't cut their hair for a worthy cause.

Zerkel isn't just the one handing out the haircuts, though. He, Assistant Principal Scott Spencer, Superintendent Murray Pride and Athletic Director Jason Sims all agreed to shave their heads if 500 bracelets supporting Dean were sold.

That goal was also reached quickly.

"We blew that away pretty fast," Peek said.

The administrators will have their heads shaved in the gym during a pep session after the first of the year.

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  • What a wonderful story and an incredible show of support for Cory! Ours prayers have been with he and his family. The North Putnam kids are a fantastic group to have pulled this off so quickly. Congratulations!

    -- Posted by TinaS on Wed, Dec 19, 2007, at 9:17 AM
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