Benefit breakfast Saturday for ex-Pounder Tom Cole

Assorted Sports Equipment on Black
Assorted Sports Equipment on Black

A waffle-and-sausage breakfast to benefit former Central High School football and baseball standout Tom Cole is scheduled for Saturday.

The breakfast, to be held in the school cafeteria, costs $5 per person and all proceeds will be forwarded to Cole, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last summer.

There will be a raffle for ticket-holders and there also will be a silent auction, former Central coach John Crawford said. Also a Central graduate and a mainstay for years on the coaching staff, Crawford was an assistant to Mike Collier Sr. during Cole's playing days for the Purple Pounders.

"There is a Gofundme page and there is information on Facebook if you search for Tom Cole/Central," Crawford said.

Cole graduated in 1983 from the Harrison school, where he was a two-time News-Free Press all-county performer and the newspaper's football player of the year in 1982. He was also a two-time all-state football pick.

"He's one of the best players to come out of Central since it moved to Highway 58," Crawford said.

Cole went from Central to the University of New Mexico, where he played football for coach Joe Lee Dunn. Cole then spent time in the coaching ranks with Dunn at Memphis.

Crawford said tickets are available at the school's main office, at the door Saturday morning or from him, David Champion or James Walker.

Further information can be obtained by calling Crawford at 423-883-4660.

Contact Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or 423-886-4765. Follow him on Twitter @wardgossett.

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