Great Clips hair salon is partnering with the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council for a September Cut-A-Thon.

The Cut-A-Thon, which began Sept. 8 and will end Sept. 28, is a way for Great Clips to give back to the community, hairstylist and manager Brittany Guilliams said. The idea for the event came about rather organically, she said, while she was chatting with YAC director Wayne Andrews during a haircut.

“Well, I cut Wayne’s hair, and since we’re completely new to this area and YAC does a lot of stuff in town, we wanted to get our name out there,” Guilliams said. “He’s the one who suggested we do a Cut-A-Thon, and I was all for it.”

For every person who presents a Cut-A-Thon ticket at Great Clips and purchases a regular haircut, a donation will be made to the arts council. Printed tickets are available at the Powerhouse, or those interested in participating in the event may also print them at home.

According to Andrews, the chance to incorporate a local business in what some consider a nontraditional fundraiser aligns with YAC’s mission to bring all members of the LOU community together.

“This is something we’ve been cultivating, to think about nontraditional ways to raise money and get more people in the community involved,” Andrews said. “This is how we try to build partnerships. For us it’s a great thing because it helps strengthen our role as an arts council, and simply having someone out there to champion our cause is exciting.”

Many businesses are under the misconception that the only way they can support the arts is by writing a check and sliding it across the table, Andrews said. However, monetary support is equally matched only by community support, he said.

Everyone needs a haircut at some point, and everyone needs exposure to the arts, Andrews said, adding that he hopes other businesses follow suit.

Guilliams, who is new to the area herself, said that it’s sometimes difficult to make a name for a franchised business in a town with an abundance of small storefronts. However, she said, it’s one thing that motivated the Oxford Great Clips team to take on this initiative.

“I wanted to show that we want to be a part of this town as much as we can,” Guilliams said. “Oxford is very much a ‘mom-and-pop’ kind of town, so just getting our brand out there and showing that we want to be part of the community is what we’re trying to do.”

Great Clips is located at 1801 Jackson Avenue West, Suite B-101 in the Highland Court shopping center. Walk-ins are welcome.