Sport Clips Haircuts is stepping up its already strong commitment to the military this year. From announcing its new sponsorship of the Wounded Warriors Family Support’s (WWFS) High Five Tour, to planning a new scholarship program with the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), to hiring a new Veterans Affairs Officer, the franchise continues in its mission to provide support for those who serve.

 Throughout the year:

• Sport Clips provides free calls home to deployed and hospitalized U.S. service members and their loved ones through the VFW’s Operation Uplink™ program. The day before Memorial Day, more than 14,000 free phone calls home by U.S. military are expected to be made possible through Sport Clips’ Help A Hero campaign, which supports Operation Uplink. Since Help A Hero began in 2007, Sport Clips has donated more than $1.8 million dollars to Operation Uplink and is planning to enhance its commitment to the VFW through the development of a new scholarship program for returning veterans. Program details will be announced in the months ahead.

• Sport Clips provides free calls home to deployed and hospitalized U.S. service members and their loved ones through the VFW’s Operation Uplink™ program. The day before Memorial Day, more than 14,000 free phone calls home by U.S. military are expected to be made possible through Sport Clips’ Help A Hero campaign, which supports Operation Uplink. Since Help A Hero began in 2007, Sport Clips has donated more than $1.8 million dollars to Operation Uplink and is planning to enhance its commitment to the VFW through the development of a new scholarship program for returning veterans. Program details will be announced in the months ahead.

• Sport Clips supports veterans and active-duty military through preferential in-store pricing and discounts on franchise opportunities through the International Franchise Association’s (IFA) VetFran program.

• CEO and Founder Gordon Logan, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, serves on the VFW Foundation Board, is a member of the IFA’s VetFran Committee and is Chairman of the VetFran Mentor Program.

• Sport Clips, through the company’s Philanthropic Fund, will fulfill its pledge to gift donations totaling $1 million to area nonprofits – with a focus on those that support the needs of veterans and children – over the next 10 years. Recent Fund recipients include the Ride On Center for Kids and Honor Flight Austin.

Sport Clips’ new Veterans Affairs Officer, Matt Deputy, USAFR, spent eight years on active duty and continues to serve as a reservist. In his new position, Deputy plays an integral role in supporting Sport Clips’ military-focused partnerships, such as those with the VFW and WWFS, and serves as a liaison to veterans who are interested in Sport Clips as a franchise opportunity.

Deputy and Logan recently announced details of the hair care franchise’s support for the WWFS’ High Five Tour. Beginning in June, Sport Clips’ in select cities will host the WWFS patriotically-wrapped 2013 Shelby Mustang GT500 (see photo above) along a 48-state road trip across America in an effort to raise awareness of the organization’s mission. On June 17 through July 26, Sport Clips’ more than 1,000 locations will also help WWFS build custom-designed “smart homes” for two severely wounded veterans by raising funds in-store.

 For more information about Sport Clips Haircuts as a military friendly franchise, visit SportClips.com.