Sport Clips Haircuts celebrated the opening of its 1,500^th location, which happens to be in Founder and CEO Gordon Logan’s hometown of Sumter, S.C., by giving back to area youth. The milestone opening was marked with a $15,000 donation to Toys for Tots to provide gifts to children in the state’s Sumter, Lee and Clarendon counties. The contribution from Sport Clips will enable the Marines of Detachment 1202 to put Christmas smiles on the faces of approximately 3,000 additional children in the local area.

Sport Clips Haircuts Founder and CEO Gordon Logan, and his wife Bettye, and local Team Leaders (franchisees) Zach and Sharon Payer presented the gift check to Harvey Senter, Toys for Tots regional coordinator, before a crowd of local dignitaries and guests at the store, located at 2621 Broad Street.

“Growing up here, I never imagined that my life would come full-circle, with the growth of Sport Clips bringing us to this day – the celebration of our 1,500^th location, right here in my home town, surrounded by so many great friends. This is a special celebration for me… It’s a homecoming to the place where family and friends taught me about life, hard work and planted the seeds of entrepreneurship,” says Logan. “The fact that the brand my wife and I started in 1993 has a ‘sports theme’ likely took root when I was the sports editor here for the Edmunds High School newspaper. The Air Force took me to Texas, but I will always think of Sumter as home.

“Giving back through donations such as this is how we at Sport Clips put our values in action. We call it ‘haircuts with heart.’ We chose Toys for Tots for several reasons, one of them being the value it brings to children and families in the local community, and its close ties with military involvement. Sport Clips supports numerous veterans’ efforts, and you’ll see those in our store here in Sumter and all across the country. We happy to be a part of this community I call my hometown and in so many other neighborhoods and communities across the U.S. and in Canada.”

On hand for the event were Sumter Mayor Joe McElveen; City Manager Deron McCormick; Sumter County Chairman Vivian McGhaney and other County Council Members; County Administrator Gary Mixon; City of Sumter Chief of Police Russell Roark; Sheriff of Sumter County Anthony Dennis and other community leaders and citizens. Sport Clips Vice President of Marketing, Martha England attended, as well as Sport Clips Area Developers Eric and Rosemary Gozur.

As part of the opening celebration, the Sumter Sport Clips offered a free haircut in exchange for a new, unwrapped toy donation leading up the event. As an active part of the community, the Sumter Sport Clips will continue to participate in local and national philanthropies, as well as contribute to the local economy and provide jobs for around a dozen stylists and team members.