Cops & Barbers 2021 wrapped up at Glenwood Community Center, and it was full of laughter and fun, smiles and hugs, old friends and new. The staff, parents, and children of Glenwood were wonderful. The kids especially were such a joy to be around. As you can see from the pictures, the officers had such a great time talking to them, playing games with them, and doing art projects with them.
One little guy, Jeremiah, was there to get a very close haircut because "the clippers had fallen off the bathroom sink" and cut a big chunk out of the front part of his hair. Or so he told his grandmother, at least. She said he is quite the comedian and keeps her laughing. (Hey, Jeremiah, we've all been there with the hair mishaps!)
Jeremiah told us that he thought only girls were allowed to take pictures with police officers. When we assured him that was not true at all, he set out to get pictures with every officer there, ultimately deciding a group photo was in order. He walked around, rounding up officers himself, and did a very good job of getting every officer who didn't have to be staffing a station. We will always treasure it.
State Representative Allison Russo came to say hello. She got to see how hard the girls were working on their art projects, check out everyone's basketball skills, and talk to the barbers and the officers about their commitment to their community and their desire to make a difference.
We are always grateful to be part of making a difference in the community, and we could not do it without the support of Columbus Division of Police. Every officer you see here and at the Linden event volunteered to participate, and there were many others behind the scenes who made this happen. One of the many reasons we love CPD.
Thanks also to our sponsors, including Wal-Mart Britton Parkway-Dublin, FOP Capital City Lodge #9, CME Federal Credit Union, and the 2nd & 7 Foundation, to Columbus Recreation and Parks Department, the 614 Cadets, and to our volunteers. We truly could not have done this without you. We love that all of you come together to help us help others. Thank you.
Finally, thanks to the talented barbers who donated their time to help these boys look their best for their first day of school. The vision that Officer Pete Casuccio and barber Rob Cayson had in 2018 was to give young men a great start for the school year, that a fresh cut and quality school supplies, along with positive role models, can go a long way. They operate on the same principle that Starfish has: if they can make a difference for one, they've done well. We've seen the faces of the boys light up time and again when these amazing barbers show them their cuts. We know they've made a difference. Thank you all for doing this.
