Atwood Barbershop on Madison’s East Side will host its annual back-to-school party on Monday, Sept. 1, where it will provide free haircuts for students along with backpacks full of supplies as the new school year kicks off for many young people in the area next week.
“What we try to do is get them ready for their first day of school. A nice haircut should be a good boost of confidence, right?” Atwood Barbershop owner Terry Moss tells Madison365. “I think it’s important to be looking good on your first day and to have the right school supplies.”
(Photo: Terry Moss)
Moss says that Atwood Barbershop hosted its first back-to-school event back in 2012 and has held the event every year since, even during the COVID pandemic.
“That first year that we held the event, I could tell that it was something that the kids needed in our community,” Moss says. “I knew that kids would be appreciative to be able to start out the school year with a fresh cut.”
Moss and his staff are getting ready to work hard on Labor Day to make sure students are looking their best.
“There’s just so much on parents’ minds at this time of the year. They are handling everything and buying all of the clothes and supplies and getting things ready for school,” Moss says. “The last thing they think about is getting a haircut. So we want to be there for them.
“We’re just trying to relieve a little bit of financial pressure for the parents, too, for people who may not be able to afford a haircut,” he adds.
Moss says that the free haircuts will be on a first-come, first-served basis and that barbers will be there from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Atwood Barbershop is located at 2134 Atwood Ave.
“So we just take everyone that comes in. We should have pizza and some little snacks that we’re going to provide for patrons to snack on while they are waiting for their haircut,” Moss says.
Moss and his staff are looking to have a hectic Labor Day; what’s his favorite part of the annual Atwood Barbershop back-to-school party?
“Man, I just like to see the kids smile after they get their cut. They look good and they feel good about it. You want them to look their best, but you want them to feel their best, too,” he says.
