ROANOKE, Va. – The first day of school is all about making a good first impression and the barbers at First Impressions Barbershop in Roanoke helped more than 100 kids prepare for the big day in honor of one special child.
Dozens of kids lined up outside the Northwest Roanoke barbershop to get a free haircut on Sunday. The initiative was so popular, the barbershop did even more free cuts on Monday.
“You see the enthusiasm on their face that they know they’re about to get slayed,” said barber Aleshia Myers.
Many families enjoyed the last weekend of summer vacation before the school year begins in Roanoke; however, the family of Camden Brown is doing so without him.
Camden died in an accidental shooting earlier this month.
George Harrington was his barber and said the 8-year-old boy became much more than just a client.
“He would come in here and get his haircut. So, we honor him today,” stated Harrington. “Something about him was special to me because I gave him his last haircut.”
“His mother is here with us,” stated Myers. “If she can be here, we can be here. If she can be strong, we can be strong.”
The barbers said the shop is the best place to talk through these kinds of things.
“It’s so important to talk to them about gun violence, gun handling or lack thereof; bullying and cyberbullying, social media. So much going on that they’re faced with,” said Myers.
Harrington said more than 100 kids got a cut Sunday.