PERU – Brenda Gammon went on a “dye-it” Friday.
Known for doing kooky things for schoolchildren, the Peru Elementary School principal had her hair permanently dyed pink that morning.
Three weeks ago, Gammon bet the SAD 21 school’s 144 students that they couldn’t raise $500 in three weeks for Hurricane Katrina relief. If they did, the brunette would get her hair dyed.
She lost that bet less than two weeks into the fund-raiser, which ended $1,300 later on Friday morning.
“She’s someone who would do anything for the kids,” said Gammon’s aunt, former Peru School teacher Adelia Thurston. “She’s been like this since day one.”
Sitting in Tangles hair salon on Main Street in Dixfield on Friday morning, Gammon was nervous when salon owner and hairstylist Maria Merrill began bleaching her hair.
“I don’t think I’ve ever done anything this drastic,” Gammon said after Merrill painted her hair with dye. It is supposed to last six to eight weeks.
“I would have really rather sat on the school roof with a book,” Gammon said.
But, she added, the new “do,” which came out orange-red while wet, was something worth doing.
“We’re a small school. We only have 144 students, and they’ve raised that much money. That’s incredible! So, if I can have pink hair for six to eight weeks, for what the rest of the country is going through, then this is nothing,” Gammon said.
Merrill, who did the work for nothing, said Gammon’s hair would turn brighter pink as it dried.
Retired Peru School librarian Ginny Bragdon, who hatched the hair dye idea with Thurston, said Gammon is also known for having her hair tied in 100 braids for the 100th day of school, and wearing 100 balloons and letting the children pop them while counting backward.
“I just love this,” Gammon said.
So, too, did her staff of 20 and the children when she walked into school with reddish hair, followed by a television reporter and videographer.
In support of Gammon, the staff and some students sprayed temporary pink dye on their hair or wore pink wigs.
Children in a hallway burst out laughing after the principal walked past, while others stared speechless.
“It looks like it’s on fire,” said second-grader Julia Ahearn.
“I can’t believe she did it,” said Meagan Brann.
As for the money, Gammon said the students decided to send some of the $1,300 to the American Red Cross, and the rest of it to three Gulf Coast families who lost everything and relocated to the River Valley area.
As for the hair, Gammon said her husband, David, rolled his eyes when she told him about the dye job.
“All he said, was, If it’s not out by hunting season, it needs to be turned to orange,” she said.
Comments are no longer available on this story