To mark its 10th year of supporting veterans through Help A Hero Scholarships, Sport Clips Haircuts has launched its annual promotion to raise $1.7 million by Nov. 11.
The campaign supports the VFW’s “Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship” program, which provides funds for education for veterans and service members to transition to post-military civilian careers.
“The costs of higher education continue to soar, so ensuring that our nation’s service members and veterans have the aid and support they need to be successful after their military career is over continues to be a top priority for the VFW,” said VFW National Commander Duane Sarmiento. “Transitioning out of the military can be difficult, but with the help of Sport Clips and its patrons, we’re able to eliminate some of the stress that comes with student loan debt.”
Over the next five weeks, Sport Clips clients, team members and franchisees can donate in-store at check-out or online with 100 percent of donations going toward veteran scholarships.
Participating Sport Clips stores will also donate $2 from every hair care service provided on Veterans Day, Nov. 11. Many locations will also offer free Veterans Day haircuts for veterans and active-duty service members.
In 2013, a drawdown of troops prompted veteran-founded Sport Clips to step up to meet the need for education funds that extend beyond GI Bill benefits to more fully cover the costs service members often need to complete degrees and training after the military.
“For Sport Clips, giving back, especially to our military community, has been a core component of our business. Our stylists are key to making this program a success, and they really demonstrate our overall commitment to honoring veterans because they drive this promotion at the store level and get our clients excited to make a donation,” said Sport Clips Founder and Chairman Gordon Logan, a VFW Life member and Air Force veteran who flew C-130s in Southeast Asia.
To date, Help A Hero funds have supported more than 2,720 scholarships through the $12.3 million Sport Clips, its clients, stylists and product partners have donated to the VFW Foundation.
In addition to in-store donations, text “HERO” to 71777 for an easy, online giving option.
Help A Hero scholarships range up to $5,000 per semester and help cover the cost of tuition and fees for military and service members with the rank of E-5 and below. The scholarships are awarded to qualified veterans across all branches of the military by sending the funds directly to the college or technical school of their choice.
To apply for and learn more about how the scholarships impact the lives of veterans, visit here.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.