High school grad on 5,000-day streak of wearing dinosaur shirts — and counting

© Dundek family photo/MCT Zachary Dundek has worn a shirt featuring dinosaurs for 5,000 consecutive days. He said he plans to keep… By Fra...

© Dundek family photo/MCT Zachary Dundek has worn a shirt featuring dinosaurs for 5,000 consecutive days. He said he plans to keep…

By Frank Vaisvilas, Chicago Tribune
NEW LENOX, Ill.

Zachary Dundek's siblings warned him four years ago he would become the target of bullying in high school if he continued wearing shirts featuring dinosaurs every day.

But he had worn a dinosaur shirt every single day for the 10 previous years, and he wasn't about to stop because of what other people might think as he prepared for his freshman year at Lincoln-Way Central High School in New Lenox.

On May 30, Dundek graduated from Lincoln-Way Central, proudly displaying a dinosaur embroidered on a dress shirt under his gown. He'd completed his goal of wearing the prehistoric creature on his attire for more than 5,000 consecutive days.

"I never skipped a day," he said.

Dundek said he'd be disappointed if one day he wasn't, for some reason, able to wear a dinosaur shirt, but he said he isn't superstitious and doesn't think anything negative would happen as a result.

Still, "I never thought about giving it up," he said.

And Dundek was never bullied or teased for it.

Zachary Dundek's siblings warned him four years ago he would become the target of bullying in high school if he continued wearing shirts featuring dinosaurs every day.

But he had worn a dinosaur shirt every single day for the 10 previous years, and he wasn't about to stop because of what other people might think as he prepared for his freshman year at Lincoln-Way Central High School in New Lenox.

On May 30, Dundek graduated from Lincoln-Way Central, proudly displaying a dinosaur embroidered on a dress shirt under his gown. He'd completed his goal of wearing the prehistoric creature on his attire for more than 5,000 consecutive days.

"I never skipped a day," he said.

Dundek said he'd be disappointed if one day he wasn't, for some reason, able to wear a dinosaur shirt, but he said he isn't superstitious and doesn't think anything negative would happen as a result.

Still, "I never thought about giving it up," he said.

And Dundek was never bullied or teased for it.