2023 back to school cuts for kids a huge success

Local hair stylists bring smiles and fresh haircuts to area students

Thanks to the generosity of local hair stylists and business leaders, several dozen children and youths from the tri-county region are going back to school this year with fresh haircuts and smiles on their faces. 


Organizers Sarah Clairday, owner of Sar’ ndipity on the square in Salem, and Amanda Hall, account executive at Elite Home Health and professional cosmetologist, said the event was designed to give back to the community and allow the kids to look their best for back to school.

Students came from the Salem, Viola and Mammoth Spring school districts, as well as Izard County Consolidated School District and Cherokee Elementary School in the Highland School District. Some of the children had never had a haircut by a professional stylist.

In addition to Amanda Hall, stylists volunteering at the event included Amanda Brown of Shear Passion Studio located inside Church Street Boutique in Salem, Maggie Shelton of The Hair Hut in Salem and Tia York of Hair Kreations in Salem. Fifteen years after hanging up his barber’s clippers, Ross Carter of Farm Bureau Insurance in Salem and Melbourne joined the group to provide fresh fades for the young men and boys.

Salem High School Beta Club members painted fingernails and assisted with check-in and clean-up. Beta Club volunteers included Alli Smith, Ally Tanner, Rose Keen, Emma Summerhill, Hannah Dailey, Maddie Keen and Olivia Dockins.

Ava Hall and Lily Brown added hair tinsel, or “fairy hair,” for the girls who requested the accessory.

Salem United Methodist Church served as host location for the event, which drew more than 60 children and parents. The stylists completed a total of 40 cuts in 1 hour, 45 minutes.

Dr. Tom Benton of the Salem United Methodist Church greeted the families and gave a tour of the sanctuary. Salem United Methodist Church is one of the oldest congregations in Fulton County. The present church building is 98 years old.

Dr. Benton said one of the children who toured the sanctuary told him she had always seen the church from the outside but had never been inside. She told Dr. Benton she thought it was beautiful.