Back-to-school haircuts donated to Las Vegas-area children
Clippers clicked, razors buzzed and chatter filled the Derfelt Senior Center as children from the area lined up for free haircuts as part of Derfelt’s Back-to-School Haircuts & Eye Exams event.
“When you leave the hairdresser, you feel confident,” said Stephanie Richard, who manages the facility and the event. “You usually leave with your head up high with a big smile on your face. That’s what we’re trying to do for the kids.”
For the past four years, Richard said, barbers and beauticians have volunteered to help the kids. They worked from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 31 giving haircuts catered to each student’s taste. Richard said they had 30 eye screenings and over 120 kids in for haircuts.
“This is my first year participating,” said Thomas Rose, of west Las Vegas, one of the barbers. “I came out to give back to the kids. It was nice to see the smiles on their faces after it was done.”
Rose, 56, has been a barber since 2005, he said. He started in his hometown of Chicago, moving to Phoenix years later as a barber with Supercuts and then to Las Vegas just a little over two years ago, he said. One of his last clients for the day was 10-year-old Christopher Jaimes, whose siblings patiently waited for their turn.
“We found the event on Facebook,” said Anjelica Jaimes, Christopher’s mother. “It helps save money, especially when you have more than one kid and it makes the kids feel better about themselves when they go back to school.”
The goal, Richard said, is to create a smooth transition for children and teens into the next grade.
“This is one of our favorite events,” Richard said. “It’s about empowerment, ownership, acceptance — getting them excited to go to school. Confidence is a small thing we can give to make their school year just a little easier.”
Contact Mia Sims at msims@
