Trimming, styling and cleaning hair to gain confidence for the new school year takes center stage in Albany today as a hair salon offered free haircuts in the hopes that all students will get A’s.
A hair salon called Barber Lounge in Albany is hosting its second annual Back to School Community Gives Back Day, offering free haircuts on Sunday. The event will feature free meals, face painting, donated backpacks, pedicures and school supplies.
“I see that it brings us joy in the community to say that someone is there to help them financially. I don’t have the money, so we are here to make sure the kids can go back to school as they are supposed to,” said Scott McCall of the McCall Institute.
Preparations for this year’s event were several months in the making, and it was finally held Sunday afternoon in conjunction with other companies at Loudon Plaza.
“I came here and Mr. McCall talked to me about it a few months ago. He was able to get all the organizations I had to support the cause and donate. We have another barber here with me, Jason Owens from Giles Barbershop in Colonie, New York, who is also here to support us,” said Kevin George, the owner of the Barbershop Lounge.
Seeing the kids and the community working together to do what needs to be done is special, says Scott McCall of the McCall Institute.
“Even though families came to bring their families to cut, they even offered to volunteer to help. Whatever needs to be done here, that’s a good thing now, you know, not just come in, take and go. They had to help us too,” said Scott McCall of the McCall Institute.
According to owner Kevin George, he expected to cut the hair of 45 or more children and that more than a hundred people would attend the event on Sunday.
