By Brittany Anderson
KYLE — Children are our future — and the community once again came together to help provide a free service to local students to get ready for the new school year.
Through its Cutz4Kidz event, Kyle-based barber shop Gentlemen’s Grooming 101 has provided Hays County K-12 students with free haircuts since 2017, excluding 2020 and 2021 due to COVID. The shop once again held Cutz4Kidz on Aug. 7 at the Krug Activity Center, providing 150 free haircuts in total.
The event was undoubtedly a culmination of incredible community effort, with multiple vendors sponsoring the event (some provided free food and entertainment during the event) and both barber shops and independent barbers participating. Live Oak Academy and the Railhouse Bar also provided seating.
Gentlemen’s Grooming owners Tony Arredondo and Chris Ortiz, who spend time teaching at local high schools and barber colleges, were also able to have 10 college students sign up and help cut hair who “killed it,” Arredondo said. Arredondo also noted that although some of the participating barbers were outside of Hays County, they all started out here, and made an effort to give back to the community they’re from.
“It felt good after everything was done,” Arredondo said. “After the event, I had barbers texting me saying, 'I feel good about this.'”
In addition to providing free haircuts, Arredondo said that this annual event also acts as a school supply collection. Gentlemen’s Grooming is partnering with the Kyle/Buda Kiwanis Club, the Kyle and Buda Police Department and the Unforgettable Families and Friends organization for a school supply drive on Aug. 13.
Backpacks will be distributed during Kyle Market Days from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. While the deadline to register has already passed, walk-ins will be accepted.
Donations are being accepted through Aug. 12 and can be dropped off around Kyle (Kyle Police Department, Kyle Area Senior Zone, Kyle City Hall, Ladies & Gents Professional Hair and Kyle Club Pilates) and Buda (Buda Police Department and Buda Club Pilates). Items needed include backpacks, pens, colored pencils, scissors, glue, pink erasers, notebook paper, baby wipes, tissues, hand sanitizer, 3-ring pocket folders and gallon Ziplock bags. Additionally, volunteers are needed at the Krug Activity center on Aug. 12 at 6 p.m. to help fill the backpacks.
