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Get your hair cut, and help troops talk to their families
Sports Clips event donates funds from haircuts to VFW group.
By JASON ASHLEY WRIGHT World Scene Writer
Published: 11/9/2009 2:21 AM
Last Modified: 11/9/2009 8:05 AM
Having your hair trimmed Wednesday could help servicemen and women overseas connect with their families.
On Veterans Day, Sport Clips stores nationwide — including one in Tulsa and another in Owasso — will donate $1 for every haircut given that day to the Veterans of Foreign Wars' Operation Uplink, a program that offers free call days and calling cards for deployed and hospitalized American soldiers.
This is the third year that Sport Clips has donated to Operation Uplink, said Jay Chamberlain, who owns the two locations — 10910 E. 71st St. and 9045 N. 121st East Ave. Last year's goal of $100,000 was exceeded by $20,000, and this year's goal is $125,000.
"Anything we can do that shows appreciation to both our current men in service, as well as our former men in service, is a great cause," Chamberlain said.
Operation Uplink started in 1996 providing phone cards for hospitalized vets, said Linda Ferguson, manager of special programs and projects for the national VFW headquarters in Kansas City.
After Sept. 11, 2001, the need for international phone cards increased dramatically, she said, so VFW started providing them to deployed soldiers, as well. In 2006, the program was changed to include six 24-hour free call days, namely holidays.
Last March, the free call days became a monthly offering, Ferguson said, providing soldiers the chance to connect with their families back home. In 2008, the program provided 26,485 Oklahoma soldiers with free calls. Since then, more than 3 million phone calls have been provided.
"It makes us feel good because we're really making a difference," she said, adding that it couldn't happen without corporate sponsors and donations.
In addition to Wednesday, which Sport Clips has billed as the "Biggest Haircut Day of the Year," the stores will offer clients now through Saturday opportunities to donate to Operation Uplink, Chamberlain said. By making a donation, clients are entered into a drawing on Saturday at both Tulsa and Owasso locations to win a Season Pass — six comp MVP haircuts, Sport Clips' top-of-the-line service. The Owasso store will also be raffling off a 27-inch flat-screen TV.
Sport Clips , which operates more than 600 stores nationwide, also offers preferential pricing throughout the year to veterans. The largest contributor to Operation Uplink, Sport Clips is ranked by AllBusiness.com as a "Top 10 Franchise for Veterans."
Biggest Haircut Day
of the Year
What: Sport Clips is donating $1
from each cut to VFW’s Operation
Uplink
When: 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Sport Clips at 10910 E.
71st St. and 9045 N. 121st East
Ave., Owasso
Info: 307-0124 or 274-7220;
tulsaworld.com/sportclips
Jason Ashley Wright 581-8483
jason.wright@tulsaworld.com
By JASON ASHLEY WRIGHT World Scene Writer
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