Sport Clips Haircuts Announces $500,000 in Scholarships for Veterans

KANSAS CITY, Kan., Jan. 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Sport Clips Haircuts' mission to provide active-duty military and veterans support for their post-military career goals was accomplished today when the franchise announced 43 scholarships for the spring semester. Sport Clips locations across the nation raised funds totaling $500,000 through its annual "Help A Hero" campaign, benefiting the Veterans of Foreign Wars-administered "Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship" program. Through this contribution, Sport Clips and the VFW expect to provide more than 60 additional scholarships for the fall 2014 semester for which service members can now apply through April 30 at VFW.org/scholarship.

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Since 2007, the Sport Clips Help A Hero campaign has supported the VFW's Operation Uplink™ "Free Call Days," making more than 2 million calls home possible for deployed and hospitalized U.S. service members. In this, its seventh year, the campaign expanded its focus to offer scholarships of up to $5,000 to active-duty military and veterans who are pursuing an education at post-secondary institutions, including trade schools.

Donations to Help A Hero were collected in stores and at local fundraising events in the fall of 2013 with efforts culminating November 11, Veterans Day, on Sport Clips' "Biggest Haircut Day of the Year." Stores donated a dollar from every haircut service to the scholarship program, and sponsors John Paul Mitchell Systems and Nioxin each contributed $10,000 to the effort.

"Reading just one of our Help A Hero scholarship recipients' thank you notes is all it takes to recognize the need for this support as well as the generosity of our Sport Clips clients, team members, and supporters," says Sport Clips Founder and CEO Gordon Logan, a U.S. Air Force veteran and lifetime member of the VFW. "Sport Clips continues to be a proud supporter of phone calls home through the VFW's Operation Uplink, but we're excited to be able to expand our focus to include scholarships, which will support our nation's heroes and their families in the next chapter of their lives."

"Student veterans can only stretch GI Bill benefits so far," says VFW Commander-in-Chief Bill Thien. "We've heard from several active-duty service members and veterans that their financial needs aren't being met to start or return to school for traditional, technical and advanced degrees. And, we're learning that the scholarships we're giving will allow them to pursue their education, when it otherwise would have been a financial struggle."

Sport Clips is the Official Haircutter of the VFW, and its Help A Hero campaign is just one of the many ways it supports active-duty military and veterans. To find out more, visit your local Sport Clips or SportClips.com.

About Sport Clips Haircuts
Sport Clips Haircuts is headquartered in Georgetown, Texas. It was established in 1993 and franchised in 1995 by founder and CEO Gordon Logan. The sports-themed haircutting franchise, which specializes in haircuts for men and boys, is ranked by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the top 20 "Fastest-Growing Franchises" and in the Top 40 in the "Franchise 500." Sport Clips is the "Official Haircutter" of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), offers veterans preferential pricing on haircuts and franchises, and was named as one of the "Top Franchises for Veterans" by Franchise Business Review. Our "Help A Hero" program has raised more than $2 million to help deployed and hospitalized U.S. service members call home through the VFW's Operation Uplink™ and provide scholarships for veterans transitioning to a civilian career. Sport Clips is a proud sponsor of Joe Gibbs Racing's NASCAR drivers Denny Hamlin, Elliott Sadler, and Drew Herring, and partners with numerous NCAA and professional sports teams. To learn more about Sport Clips, visit www.sportclips.com. For information on franchise opportunities, click here and for information on career opportunities, click here.

About The Veterans of Foreign Wars
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is a nonprofit veterans' service organization composed of combat veterans and eligible military service members from the active, Guard and Reserve forces. Founded in 1899 and chartered by Congress in 1936, the VFW is the nation's largest organization of war veterans and its oldest major veterans' organization. With nearly 2 million VFW and Auxiliary members located in more than 7,000 Posts worldwide, "NO ONE DOES MORE FOR VETERANS." The VFW and its Auxiliaries are dedicated to veterans' service, legislative advocacy, and military and community service programs worldwide. For more information or to join, visit our website at www.vfw.org.

SOURCE Sport Clips Haircuts