Parents have a long list of things they have to do when it comes to getting children ready to go back to school, and this year, getting those first-day-of-school haircuts was not one of those to do’s thanks to A. Studio II in Russellville.

Monday school-age children received free haircuts at A. Studio II. Salon owner Shawn Abernathy said she started the event because she knows what it is like to get children ready for back-to-school season.

“Kids go through tough times, parents go through tough times, and we’ve just kind of collectively tried to help the community out by giving parents just one less thing they have to do off their bucket list,” Abernathy said.

Abernathy said a new haircut can do so much for a child in school because it boosts their confidence and gives them one less thing to worry about. She said she and her husband have offered free haircuts for back-to-school season for several years at their first location in Tuscumbia and decided to do the same at their new location in Russellville.

“We like to support the community in anyway that we can, and it’s nice to know that this will help out,” Abernathy said.

The salon opened its doors for the event starting at 9 a.m., and Abernathy said people were waiting outside for her to open the salon.

Despite most haircuts taking no more than a few minutes, Abernathy said some clients had to wait for an hour and a half because of the high demand. 

By 1 p.m. the studio had given haircuts to more than 100 students. Abernathy said she is going to need a bigger studio for next year’s event.