Back-to-school haircut event back for another year

KYLE — The annual back-to-school haircut event hosted by local barber Tony Arredondo was back in full swing, and under a new name, this past weekend on Aug. 11.

Previously, the free haircut event, now titled Kidz, Cutz and Curlz, was hosted by Gentlemen’s Grooming 101, but according to Arredondo, after his departure, his former partner did not want to continue the event, citing the workload it required. Determined to not see such an important event fall through, he rushed to ensure the event occurred.

“Haircuts are expensive,” acknowledged Arredondo. “At a time like this, you’re buying school supplies [and] clothes. A haircut is, like, the last thing on your priority list for a parent … It gets bigger and bigger every year: first year, 50 haircuts; second year, 60 haircuts; third year, 100 haircuts; fourth year, 120 haircuts; last year, 178,” explained the barber.

Despite beginning a month late, Arredondo managed to both find a location at Negley Elementary School and gather more than two dozen sponsors to provide food and materials, as well as barbers and stylists to cut hair.

PHOTO BY BRITTANY KELLEY
Cynthia Bentley of Unforgettable Friends and Families poses for a photo with free school supplies at Kidz, Cutz and Curlz on Aug. 11.[/caption]

Specifically, Arredondo noted that since his change to K’s Cutting Edge Salon, located in Kyle, he wanted to focus on gathering stylists for girl haircuts, as well, which also inspired the addition of “Curlz” to the name.

“It used to be called Cutz 4 Kidz, but since I’m doing it by myself ... and now that I’m in a salon, I kind of want to focus on the little girl haircuts, as well,” he said. “I can honestly say, the last couple of years we just focused on boy haircuts.”

A multitude of local stylists and barbers, including individuals from Barber Palace, K’s Cutting Edge Salon, as well as Johnson High School and Lehman High School cosmetology students, all of whom were volunteers, provided free haircuts: “Nobody likes to work for free, so [I have to let them know] that I know sometimes it’s about competition. It’s about who’s better and our competitors, but at a time like this, it's really good to give back,” said the barber.

Prior to the event, a total of 150 slots available through a signup link were filled, but Arredondo still made it a priority to take walk-ins, accounting to more than 200 haircuts to aid students back on their first day of school.

Unforgettable Families and Friends and the Kyle Area Senior Zone also sponsored and gave away school supplies to those in need.

“The smile on the kids’ faces with a great haircut [is what matters]. Because a haircut could change your attitude, your confidence, your mood, your mind, your thinking just make you feel great. It’s more than just a haircut; it's just seeing the smiles on the kid’s faces and making them feel good on their first day,” concluded Arredondo.