The 17th annual Back 2 School Free Haircutz will be held this weekend as barbers across Dane County prepare to get students ready for their first day of classes.
Back 2 School Free Haircutz is an effort started by JP Hair Design’s owner, Jeff “JP” Patterson. The effort brings around 40 barbers with one mission in mind: to get as many kids a fresh cut for their first day of school. The day-long event aims to provide 1,000 free haircuts; the previous record was over 800 last year. Back-to-school supplies are also made available to kids.
“You don’t see that in other cities where you have a team of barbers… allowing kids to get a free haircut and feel good about their first day back in school,” Patterson said. “It’s a feel-good piece for me to be able to host and put together an event where everybody’s working together.”
The event has been going on for 17 years now. Initially, Back 2 School Free Haircutz operated out of JP Hair Design, 584 Grand Canyon Dr., but increased demand and impact have led the event to move to a much bigger space. In 2018, it moved to the Alliant Energy Center.
Patterson prides himself on the barber industry coming together for the community. The team of barbers from all over the greater Madison area works together as a cohesive unit, wearing matching shirts.
“We’re giving kids the opportunity and parents the opportunity to get a free haircut; you also get to see a group of businesses working together,” Patterson said. “I think that’s important, too, to be able to show the community different companies in the industry work together at the same time.”
(Photo by Omar Waheed)
An additional component is on public health. Patterson has long advocated for Black men’s health through partnerships such as with Aaron Perry, the founder of Rebalanced-Life Wellness Association and another notable advocate for Black men’s health, and the Men’s Health Education Center located in the barbershop.
Back 2 School Free Haircutz will also bring its public health push through a vaccination clinic in partnership with the Dane County Immunization Coalition. Parents will be able to make sure their kids are up to date with the necessary vaccinations.
Returning will be its scholarship for the Cosmetology & Barbering Apprenticeship Program at Madison College. The scholarship, named after Madison’s first Black barber, Taylor “Smitty” Smith, honors the legacy and dedication to the community for young barbers looking to enter the industry. The scholarship will be given out at the event. Applications for the scholarship are currently open.
Back 2 School Free Haircutz will be held Sunday, Aug. 24, 10-4 p.m. at the Alliant Energy Center, 1919 Alliant Energy Center Way. Registration is required via online or phone call at 608-446-8022.
