CHICOPEE — Faded Barber Lounge will once again be hosting its Back to School event on Sunday, Aug. 24 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Rivers Park.
The initiative is led by Ricardo Diaz, owner of Faded Barber Lounge, and aims to support students as they prepare to return to school. Last year, hundreds of haircuts were given and approximately 1,000 backpacks with school supplies were also distributed.
The event is set to provide free haircuts, braids, manicures and facials to the youth. There will also be a live DJ, free food and community resources for families available.
Diaz stated that this year’s event is going to be “bigger and better than ever.” There will be obstacle courses, a dunk tank, performances, fitness activities, arts and crafts, a three-on-three basketball tournament and the sprinkle park will be open.
Diaz said he had this idea for many years and has done it on a smaller scale at his barbershop for around 15 years.
He explained that he was one of the kids who grew up in a lower class neighborhood and took advantage of the free breakfast and lunches that the city was given.
When it was time to go back to school, Diaz said, “It was either you could get this amount of pens or a uniform [and] sneakers, but you might not be able to [get] the backpack or get a haircut.”
Now growing up and being able to make a difference, Diaz said he wanted to be able to give back because he knows the stress it may cause families and students on deciding what they can and cannot afford before school starts again.
“I know how important it is to go to school and feel confident. I just want to be able to do that for our community and not only give them all these things I always said that I wanted to do for the kids — aside from all the backpack supplies and all that — I wanted to give them all the resources that they may not have.”
Diaz said there will be many resource tables set up at the event for people to check out and possibly learn about for the first time.
With the support of the city, the event has also continued to grow each year. Diaz said everyone involved in the event has played a huge role, but he specifically highlighted Monica Torres, community and special projects liaison for the Chicopee Mayor’s Office, and Luz Lopez, CEO of the nonprofit organization Breaking Oppressions, who Faded Barber Lounge partners with each year to bring this event to life.
“With those two right there, a lot of the things that I’m doing right now wouldn’t even be possible, to be honest,” Diaz said.
At Faded Barber Shop Lounge, Diaz said the shop’s slogan is, “It’s more than a haircut, it’s an experience.”
He explained, “It goes beyond just a haircut. It’s building relationships in the city and collaborating with all these people and all our sponsors, and that’s where the experience part of it comes from when I say it’s more than a haircut, it’s an experience. I always say, one of the biggest acts of life is inspiring people and that’s all I want to do. I want to create leaders in our community.”
