403 children lined up for free haircuts, manicures, and supplies to be ready for the first day of school

Mike Walker leaned down to shake the hand of 5-year-old Ethan McIntyre, whom the barber had just given a haircut.

“I want you to have a great year in school,” Walker told the kindergartner, moving in closer to be heard over the din of a bustling gymnasium.

On the eve of the first day of classes for many Philadelphia children, Ethan was one of 403 children who got a free haircut Sunday at the West Philadelphia YMCA as part of the annual Barbers Who Care Inc. back-to-school event.

Students could also pick up free school supplies, backpacks, and sneakers — while they lasted — and get free manicures. The free supplies were provided by sponsors including UnitedHealthcare and the Change Our Future Foundation, which was founded by former Eagle Rodney McLeod and his wife, Erika, and 30 barbers from across the city volunteered their time.

“With the economy today, it is a big help,” said Chachun McIntyre, 42, a school behavioral support specialist from West Philadelphia. Along with her son, Ethan, she also brought her two nephews for haircuts.

Over 15 years, Barbers Who Care has given about 4,000 free back-to-school cuts, cofounder Keturah Duncan said, and demand has grown exponentially. The first year, she said, about 70 kids got haircuts at Mane Attraction Unisex Salon, which is owned by her husband and cofounder, Kenny Duncan.

“There are a lot of thank-you’s” from parents, said Duncan, as she stood in the middle of the gym and looked out at the 30 volunteer barbers hard at work.

“It takes so much off my shoulders,” said Mary Beiland, a 42-year-old home health-care worker from West Philadelphia. Nearby, her 8-year-old son, Colin Rowen, got a buzz cut. He’s starting second grade at a new school, Beiland said, and wanted to look his best.

For Krystina Alfaro, the mother of 11 children between the ages of 1 and 18, the event brought mental and financial relief.

“The haircut alone is usually $30 and up for boys, plus you’ve got to tip them,” said Alfaro, 37, of Southwest Philadelphia. “That’s one less expense to worry about it.”

Her 17-year-old son, Giovanni Currie, sat in Walker’s chair. As the barber gave the teen a high-top fade, he also gave his mother a gift: free cuts for her children all school year at his shop, Fadetastic Barber Co.

“I appreciate that,” she said. “It takes a lot off me.”

As the event drew to a close around 3 p.m., the Barbers Who Care team swept up the buzzed-off locks from under each barber’s chair and gathered the remnants at midcourt in the gym. With brooms and hands, they molded all the hair into the number 403.