Lori Muzzy is looking forward to her first haircut in more than a decade.
By Samantha C. DePoy
Staff Writer

RANGELEY – Lori Muzzy goes to great lengths for children.

She’s registered as an organ donor. She has given blood. She’s a member of the National Bone Marrow Registry. And, she often goes beyond the call of duty as “lunch lady” at the Rangeley Lakes Regional School, making sure students are well-dressed for the brutal Rangeley winters or have a shoulder to cry on during tough times.

“If it’s got something to do with a kid,” Muzzy admits, “I am on it. All it takes is a ‘please’ and a ‘thank-you’ and they know they can get whatever they want from me.”

This week though, Muzzy is going to shorter lengths than usual for children, sheering her long, dark chestnut-hued tresses for the Locks of Love program.

Locks of Love is a nonprofit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children under age 18 suffering from long-term medical hair loss.

Muzzy’s donated hair is going to be combined with hair donated from others around the country to create a high quality wig.

The wigs made by Locks of Love help to restore children’s self-esteem and their confidence, enabling them to face the world and their peers, according to the program’s Web site.

On average, it takes between 10 and 15 sheered ponytails that are at least 10 inches in length to make a human-hair wig.

Usually a natural hairpiece would sell for $3,000 but through donations like Muzzy’s, Locks of Love is able to give them away.

But Muzzy isn’t just donating her hair.

In a way, she is also donating her image. She allowed people to buy tickets to win the right to man the scissors that will chop her long silky locks.

Muzzy admitted she was a bit nervous. Although she wore her hair cropped short when she was in the U.S. Navy, she hasn’t had a real hair cut in more than 10 years and wants a style she won’t be embarrassed to leave the house with.

Karen Olivieri, a mother and employee at the Rangeley Town Office, won the raffle.

“It’s a relief,” said Muzzy, who will have her hair shorn Thursday. Afterward, she’ll rush over to the beauty parlor where she hopes the hairdresser will be able to save her style.

“People thought it was funny and they bought tickets because they care about Locks of Love. It’s a good program because there are a lot of people out there with mops like this looking to get rid of it. I am ready. Bad hair days are easier to fix when it’s short,” Muzzy said.

The $84 raised from the raffle will go to the Rangeley school’s sophomore class, of which her son, Chad Alexander, is a member. The money will help pay for prom or a class trip when the students are seniors.

“I figured it would be a good way for the kids to make money and at the same time, help someone else,” Muzzy said.

For more information about Locks of Love, go to www.locksoflove.org.

sdepoy@sunjournal.com