Aiding charity shear pleasure for Millinocket Elks

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For five members of the Millinocket Elks Lodge No. 1521, comments such as “Hair today, gone tomorrow,” “Hair’s to ya” or a rousing cheer of “Hair! Hair!” are most appropriate.

That is because, once this day is over, Dan Hannafin, Tim Smyth, Ed Craig, Lenny Gallant and Kevin O’Kane will all be bald.

The soon-to-be baldies are actually great sports: They are having their heads shaved to raise money for the Maine Children’s Cancer Program, the major fund-raiser for the state Elks organization.

As an extra added attraction, rather than go bald, Terry Bouchard will undergo a two-tone hair coloring: half purple and half pink.

The Millinocket Elks fund-raiser began when Hannafin started, several months ago, to let his hair grow long and folks began to encourage him to get a haircut.

“I told them, if they wanted it cut that bad, they should donate money” to a worthy cause, he said.

“I said if they raised $1,000 for the Children’s Cancer Program, I’d shave my head.”

Hannafin admitted his hair is “getting ratty, and I really need a haircut,” when I spoke with him this week, so he is actually looking forward to the shearing.

His only disappointment is that his hair is not long enough to donate to Locks of Love, an organization that makes wigs for cancer patients.

“It’s only about 7 inches,” he said of the 10 inches needed for making wigs.

Although he can’t donate his locks, he did get others to participate in the fund-raiser.

“I kept prodding these guys to put their hair on the line, too,” Hannafin said of raising money for the Maine charity.

Since the others accepted his challenge, the dollars have been flowing in. Thorough Thursday, $4,500 had been raised for the MCCP.

Hannafin said several members of the Elks, and members of the community, helped with the fund raising through activities including raffles and food sales.

These hairy activities are all part of a very special celebration.

Tonight the Millinocket Elks are holding a homecoming dinner-dance for Tim Smyth in honor of his having completed his term as state Elks president.

And while the Elks have been willing to put their heads on the line, so to speak, to raise funds for ill children, Hannafin has seen to it that the head-shaving will be done in style.

He wasn’t going “to let just anybody do the cutting,” he said.

“We have a barber in town, Mike Madore, who’s also a member of the Elks,” he said. “We’re having a professional do the job.”

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If you, your business or your community group hasn’t already heard about it, and you are looking for a good way to get involved with the United Way of Eastern Maine’s Lend-A-Hand program, here is a tasty opportunity to learn all about it.

UWEM is hosting a Lend-A-Hand Program Kickoff Breakfast at 8 a.m. Wednesday, March 14, at Rangeley Hall on the Sylvan Road in Bangor.

Lend-A-Hand is a communitywide program that matches volunteers with UWEM agencies needing specific projects that can be accomplished in a one-time effort.

The Kickoff Breakfast will include an overview of the program, testimonials from agencies and organizations that have benefited from this program, and an opportunity to sign up for Lend-A-Hand Day which is Saturday, June 2.

Nancy Roberts of UMEM suggests that “this is an easy way for people to volunteer without making a big commitment.”

New to the program this year, she points out, “is the kickoff breakfast, the effort to get most projects done in one day, T-shirts for the first 150 volunteers, and the program sponsorship by Bangor Hydro.”

Anyone interested in knowing more about Lend-A-Hand, or anyone planning to attend the breakfast, should call United Volunteers at 941-2803 or e-mail llpaulab@unitedwayem.org.

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Doris Phillips, chairwoman of the Bangor Garden Club’s annual bus trip to the Boston Flower Show, wants our readers to know that 11 seats still remain for the trip scheduled for Tuesday, March 20.

The theme for the show, sponsored by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, is “The Inspired Garden.” Proceeds from the event benefit several BGC civic projects.

The bus leaves the Broadway Shopping Center at 6:30 p.m., and returns at approximately 9 p.m. to the Bangor site.

The cost for the excursion, including entry to the show but not meals, is $60 per person. The bus will stop for a coffee break on the way to the show and a supper meal on the return trip.

For reservations and information, call Phillips at 942-9863.

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Our sincerest sympathies go out to Jane Tukey of Bangor and Rockledge, Fla., and to her family, on the death of her husband, Brig. Gen. Phil Tukey, who died Sunday, March 4, at his Florida home.

A man whose career was in the service of country, Phil Tukey extended that laudable professional commitment to include service to his community as well.

Gen. Tukey was highly respected not only by those with whom he served, but also by those with whom he worked as a tireless community volunteer.

His greatest legacy, for the city of Bangor at least, is the fact that the former Dow Air Force Base is now Bangor International Airport.

It was Gen. Tukey’s help that made it so, and, for all his efforts during that transition, we who call eastern Maine home are eternally grateful.

Joni Averill, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402; 990-8288.