Hair Cuttery, one of the largest family-owned and -operated chain of hair salons in the country, donated 61,481 free haircut certificates to disadvantaged children ahead of the new school year. From August 1-15, youth across the U.S. had the opportunity to give back to their peers; for every haircut purchased by or for a child up to age 18, one was donated back to a child in need in their local community. The certificates were distributed through more than 140 state and local government and non-profit organizations nationwide.

"We want kids to return to school feeling great and ready to hit the ground running," Dennis Ratner, founder and CEO of Hair Cuttery, says. "We are passionate about our unique Share-A-Haircut program because we can make a positive impact on kids and families in our communities. Something as simple as a haircut can make children feel confident and excited to go back to school."

One organization, Sheridan House Family Ministries in Davie, FL, distributed free haircut certificates to local mothers at its 12th Annual Back to School Event for Single Moms. Volunteer Coordinator Amy Adler said of the donation, "It's about giving single moms hope – hope that there are still organizations that care and are willing to show generosity and love to children and families in need."

One mother in attendance added, "This time of year is always stressful for me with trying to figure out how I'm going to afford all of the back to school necessities. Sheridan House has lifted that burden for me at just the right time, and to be surprised with gift certificates to get the kids' hair cut is just a blessing beyond words!"

In addition to in-store donations, Hair Cuttery engaged thousands of supporters online. For the 10,047 users who shared a campaign image via Facebook, an additional free haircut certificate was added to the donation tally.

To date, the Share-A-Haircut program has reached more than 1.1 million children with haircut certificate donations, valued at $21.76 million.

Hair Cuttery has an established history of charitable giving, supporting a range of local and national causes including, St. Baldrick's Foundation, American Red Cross, American Cancer Society, Girls on the Run and The National Network to End Domestic Violence.