Two independent but like-minded York music store owners combined energies Sunday to provide, with a lot of help, city youngsters with fresh haircuts and back to school supplies. It was simply, Ray Harris and Harry Colon said, a way to thank their customers and give back to the community. Harris, the owner of Xclusive Music at 256 W. Philadelphia St., and Colon, owner of Da Underground at 683 E. Market St., hosted the community cookout at Albermarle Park.

Big big HighOffLife.com shout to Ray ‘Ecko’ Harris and Harry ‘Double O’ Colon for giving something back to their community!!!! More info and pics on the flipside!!!!

“Times are getting hard for parents, single moms,” Colon said. “If it wasn’t for our customers, we wouldn’t exist. We’re like mom-and-pop stores.” Colon said he and Harris put the cookout together in about a month. And Colon said he was overwhelmed with the response to their idea from local businesses and individuals. “I really want to thank OfficeMax and Walgreen’s,” Colon said. “They were so, so generous.” Colon said the two businesses donated enough school supplies for 90 students. The donations included notebooks and paper, markers, pencils, pens and Crayons. Haircuts were provided by local barbershops Who’s Next and World A Cuts Barber Institute. Harris said there was no concerted advertising campaign that resulted in approximately 200 adults and children who converged on the east end park. “It was Facebook, word-of-mouth, e-mail, texting, it’s our customers coming from the east and west,” Harris said. Colon said the enterprise snowballed as it got closer to event time. “People came out of nowhere with water and juices for the kids,” he said. Harris said he hopes to have the going-back-to-school cookout again next year, “only bigger.” “This basically is showing unity,” he said. “It’s important because it starts here with the youth.”

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