Nearly 90 Ledyard Kids Get Free Back-to-School Haircuts

The buzz of hair clippers echoed through a Gales Ferry hair salon all day on Thursday.

About 90 kids from Ledyard got to sit down for a free haircut, just in time for the first day of school.

Day one is all about first impressions, according to these kids.

“It’s a new school and I want to have a good first impression,” smiled Monica Andriote, who is starting the fifth grade.

Thursday’s haircuts were thanks to a partnership between the Ledyard Police Union and Mirror Image Salon on Route 12.

The salon's owner, Cory LaRose, said the free haircuts are a way to give back to the community and some of these kids also gave back.

"One little boy, pre-K, and one girl -in, I believe, ninth grade- and they both cut their hair to donate to children with cancer," LaRose said.

“Back to school is expensive and it lets everyone stretch their budgets a little bit further and it’s wonderful that they do it,” said Ledyard mom Kait O’Brien who took her daughter in for a pre-school haircut.

If anyone knows the benefit of a haircut, it’s 10-year-old Ryan Dunn.

"I just got done and I love it," Dunn exclaimed.

He moved to a new school last year.

"He was bullied constantly throughout the whole year and he came home pretty much sad every day. So he decided to let his hair grow a little bit longer and get a little skater hairdo. And ever since that happened, he wasn’t bullied anymore," Ryan’s mom, Jodie Dunn, said.

While beauty is skin-deep, the Dunns said there’s a slice of magic behind a new "do."

“I really didn’t use to have any friends. But now I’m probably going to have a lot," Dunn said.

Dunn’s mom said he even has a girlfriend now who calls him "cutie patootie."

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