BUFFALO, N.Y. — For every haircut that House of Masters Grooming Lounge schedules and completes, a portion of the money is donated to fallen firefighter Jason Arno's family.
"It's very, very hard for us in the barbering community to give back to the community. So whenever we see any situation or need to fill, this is when we need to activate," Owner Sean Thompson said.
Thompson and 17 other barbershops are giving free haircuts to members of the Buffalo Fire Department now through Friday. The effort comes days before firefighter Arno is laid to rest.
"I need them. I need them. Firefighters are grossly underpaid. Every time they make a call, they're risking their lives. Sometimes they don't even know if they are going to come home," Thompson says.
He's not alone. Fabio Ferreira also wants to live up to the City of Good Neighbors.
"I think it's a beautiful thing actually because I don't think it's like that everywhere you go," Ferreira said. He continues, "I don't think any amount of money could ever be enough to risk your life every day for the well-being of other people."
He says he saw a Facebook post shared among Buffalo's barbers and knew he had to help. It's home for him and his shop, The Village Barber Stylist because he has friends who are firefighters.
"We would be nothing without them as a city; firemen, police, EMTs, everything," Ferreira says.
The following are participating barbershops:
- King Cuts Barbershop
- Leopard Dog Barber Company
- Pieroni Barber Studio
- House of Masters Grooming Lounge
- IL MULINO
- Chiefs' Barber Parlour
- Signature Cutz Barbershop
- Ready Barbershop
- Mitts Barbershop
- Benny The Barber
- Gold Standard Barber Lounge
- Andrews Barber Parlor
- Bossed Up Barber Shop
- Armstrong's Barber Shop
- The Salty Dog Barbershop
- Slawich Cut N' Shave
- The Village Barber Stylist
- Atallah Cuts