CAPE CORAL, Fla. — A buzz, a trim, and some hairspray leave kids ready to take on the upcoming school year with a new hairdo at Blackbeards Company Barbershop in Cape Coral on Sunday.
“They come in looking one way, and they come out looking fresh,” said Elizabeth Diaz, owner of Blackbeards.
Diaz and her husband, Jose Diaz, hosted their third annual Get Fresh For School, an event offering free haircuts to kids and a backpack full of school supplies to take home.
“This is our way of helping out and easing the burden of the back to school frenzy,” Elizabeth Diaz said.
They gave away 90 backpacks and 109 haircuts to kids, including Shannon Brogan, a mother of five who says the back-to-school costs can add up quickly.
“It’d be very expensive to get five kids haircuts ready for school,” Brogan said.
Even with one child, single parents like Nicole Beltz appreciate the gesture from the local barbershop.
“To have a place that cares about their community, and that they’re giving back means a lot to the people that are sometimes too proud to ask for the help that they need,” Beltz said.
The main reason Elizabeth and Jose Diaz started this annual event so they could help the families who need it.
“When we were growing up, we always saw our parents struggling and having trouble getting everything you need. It’s only right that if you can, try to give back in the littlest way possible, even if it's just a free haircut,” Jose Diaz said.
“I just hope they know how much they mean to my family. I want to thank them for everything that they do,” Beltz said.
