Back-to-school community event provides free haircuts

Trimming, styling and cleaning hair to build confidence for a new school year is the focus today in Albany, as a barbershop handed out free haircuts in hopes of getting all students A’s.

A hair salon called Barber Lounge in Albany is hosting the second annual Back to School Community Gives Back Day to offer free haircuts on Sundays. The event offers free meals, face painting, donated backpacks, pedicures and school supplies.

“I see it as a source of joy for us and the community to say that there is someone who is here to help them get ahead financially. If they don’t have money, we are here to make sure that the kids get back to school the right way,” said Scott McCall of the McCall Institute.

This year’s event has been in the works for a couple of months and on Sunday afternoon they finally got it all together with other businesses at Loudon Plaza.

“I came and Mr. McCall spoke about this a couple of months ago with help. He was able to get all of these organizations that he had, as you can see, to support and donate to the cause. We have another barber here with me, Jason Owens from Giles Barbershop in Colonie, New York, who is also here to help,” said Kevin George, the owner of The Barbershop Lounge.

According to Scott McCall of the McCall Institute, seeing kids and the community come together to do what needs to be done is special.

“Even though we had families coming in to bring their families in to get their hair cut, they even volunteered to help out. Whatever needs to be done around here, so now it’s a good thing because they don’t just come, take it and leave. They had to help us out as well,” said Scott McCall of the McCall Institute.

According to owner Kevin George, he expected to cut 45 or more children’s hair and more than 100 people would participate in Sunday’s event.