A Nanaimo barber is looking at a new style for his back-to-school fundraiser.
This time of year, Dave Lawrence, proprietor of That 50’s Barber Shop, is normally accepting donations and preparing for his Fresh Start event, which sees vulnerable students get haircuts, school supplies and Panago pizza coupons on Labour Day weekend. While supplies will still be distributed this fall, COVID-19 physical distancing rules are forcing him to re-think his strategy. Donations of pencils, paper and other school items are still being accepted, but this year, Lawrence will also get a Fresh Start logo tattoo in a promotional event at 12:30 p.m. on Aug. 17 at Desire Tattoo Studio on Bowen Road.
“We came up with this interesting idea … I’m going to be getting the Fresh Start logo tattooed and we’re going to go Facebook live, which is something I’ve done for fundraisers before and what we’ll do is we’ll hopefully have some gift certificates from local businesses, I know I will for the barbershop,” said Lawrence. “We’ll have people bid, like an auction, to get these gift certificates and then that way we can get money for the charity up and going.”
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School supplies and money donations can be dropped off at the Aug. 17 tattoo event and will also be accepted at That 50’s Barber Shop at 16A Victoria Crescent until Aug. 28.
The actual Fresh Start event will take place Aug. 29, with volunteers delivering backpacks and supplies to people’s houses.
Since children won’t get their hair cut this year, Lawrence hopes people can purchase gift certificates from salons and similar businesses and donate them. The gift certificates can then be included with the backpacks, so the kids don’t have to miss out on that, he said.
Information on how to sign up for supplies can be found on the Fresh Start: Back to school Facebook page.
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