Durham kids get supplies, fresh haircuts before heading back to school

Community leaders rolled out the red carpet to prepare kids for the first day of school.

Elijah Speight, a student at Shepard Middle School, said he was excited to get his new school supplies and a fresh haircut, but he also knows what is important when making new friends at school.

"Doing the right thing makes you a good person. It makes you have friends and stuff," he said.

Organizers said this was the third year for the event.

"There's a need in the community especially a community like this that kind of gets forgotten sometimes. They are economically and socially disenfranchised and sometimes they get put on the back burner and every kid wants to go to school looking fresh," said Terrell Wilder, an event volunteer.

Organizers said they plan to keep bringing the event back as long as there is a need.