Barbers Cut Hair For Good Cause

Ryan Howk, foreground, checks out his haircut Saturday after getting trimmed by barber Gary Townzen, right, during Townzen’s annual charity haircut day at Townzen Barber Shop to benefit Samaritan Community Center in Rogers.
Ryan Howk, foreground, checks out his haircut Saturday after getting trimmed by barber Gary Townzen, right, during Townzen’s annual charity haircut day at Townzen Barber Shop to benefit Samaritan Community Center in Rogers.

— Landon Michaels sat quietly in his mother’s lap in a barber’s chair Saturday with the trepidatious look all 4-year-olds wear as scissors inch closer to their hair.

Gary Townzen trimmed Landon’s auburn mane as he stared pensively ahead. Landon’s older brother, Jonathan, 8, bounced around the shop after his release from barber Vic Bradford’s chair.

At A Glance

Samaritan Community Center

Samaritan Community Center in Rogers provides a wealth of services to needy families in Northwest Arkansas including meals, health clinics, snack packs for hungry children and resale shops. The group helped 100,000 last year, a 53 percent increase over its client base three years ago.

Source: samcc.org

The brothers were two of hundreds who turned out for haircuts and a good cause at Townzen Barber Shop in downtown Rogers. Four barbers trimmed hair throughout the day, with all proceeds going to benefit Samaritan Community Center.

Townzen has been organizing the fundraiser for 26 years in his small, throwback barber shop near the railroad tracks. It has grown every year, raising $12,000 for the charity two years ago.

Every chair in the shop was taken, and people stood outside around a barbecue grill eating freshly cooked hamburgers and hot dogs donated by Ivan’s Meat Market. Santa Claus even made an appearance to quell the nerves of the littlest haircut recipients.

Landon’s mom, Mariece Michaels of Rogers, said her sister told her about the haircuts and Santa visit this morning. The two met up and made it a family outing.

Townzen’s fingers worked deftly around Landon’s curls as he told about the line of people waiting outside the shop when he showed up to open at 8 a.m.

“It’s a way for us to help the community,” he said. “There’s such a need, and this is an easy way for me to contribute. This area is so giving and full of people who really care.”

Townzen was joined by Bradford, Debbie Trammell and Satisha Crawford. Bradford and Trammell have helped out with the event for years, while Crawford was experiencing her first year at the Christmas fundraiser.

She works with Bradford at Plaza Salon and Barbershop in Rogers and said he told her about the good cause. He also gave her a heads up about the busy day in store for her.

“I love to do anything to help,” she said. “They warned me that it would be crazy, so I was ready.”

Trammell works at Elegante in Rogers and kept up with the frenetic pace beside Crawford in the crowded shop. She said the event, and the need, has grown since she started seven years ago.

“The community definitely has it worse now than it did,” she said. “Most people aren’t aware how many people are hungry. I have kids and grandkids and I’ve never had to send them to bed hungry. I can’t imagine what that would feel like. It’s nice to be able to help out just a little bit.”

Bill Murphy of Bella Vista drove down to support the cause and get a haircut from Bradford, his barber for the past 30 years.

“Anyone would be lucky to get a haircut from Vic anytime,” he said.

The atmosphere inside the shop was cheerful as people talked about their Christmas plans while waiting their turn. Townzen said the barbers would stay there until the last customer was served.

“It’s been wonderful to see how many people come up and support this,” he said.

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