Hair Cuttery, the largest family-owned and operated chain of hair salons in the country, today announced a donation of 53,822 free haircut certificates to underprivileged children.

From August 1-15, children were able to give back to peers; for every child up to age 18 who purchased a haircut, one was donated back to a child in need locally. Donation certificates are valued at $20.

“Going back to school is full of new possibilities and we want students to feel their best,” said Dennis Ratner, founder and CEO of Hair Cuttery. “Share-A-Haircut offers something simple, a haircut, but it can make all the difference in a child’s confidence. With our Smile Back Guarantee, our stylists are committed to making sure every child that comes in for a cut is walking out the door happy and excited for the new school year.”

To date, the Share-A-Haircut program has reached more than 975,000 children with haircut certificate donations, valued at $19.5 million.