LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. -- In one Lee's Summit barber shop, the hum of electric hair clippers fills the air as a team of 16 students are settling in for a long night ahead. "It's a marathon," said Terrell Ford, the owner of Klassic Transformations Barber Academy and Training Center, while discussing the 24-hour Cut-A-Thon. That event started at 3 p.m. Friday and goes until 3 p.m. Saturday. The idea is simple: give free haircuts for 24 hours straight to anyone who brings in an unwrapped toy or monetary donation, which goes to the Hickman Mills Community Empowerment Center in Kansas City. Whatever is collected during the Cut-A-Thon will then be available on Saturday, December 21, at the Center's "Day of Caring," which benefits low-income families in the Hickman Mills community. Now in its seventh year, Ford said the Cut-A-Thon keeps getting bigger and better with each iteration. Lee’s Summit celebrates Taylor Swift’s birthday with ‘Merry Swiftmas’ More than 300 people showed up in 2023 which resulted in $1,000 worth of presents. Ford hopes to double those numbers this time around. "Last year one of our most popular shifts was from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m. We hope to do the same [this year].” "It's amazing. They care about everybody else, like everyone who goes here as much as the community," said Tru Goodrich, a current student at the barber academy. He showed up at 9 a.m. Friday and plans to stay until the event concludes Saturday afternoon, a whopping 30 hours. "On the other side of my cutting floor they turn it into a lounge. So, they've got couches over there, TVs, a little bit of everything. We have a ton of food for them," added Ford, who plans to go home around midnight and take a nap before returning at 4 a.m. "We just hope that the outpouring from the community that it enables those families to have Christmas." See the latest headlines in Kansas City and across Kansas, Missouri Walk-ins are accepted, and, surprisingly, Ford noted that one of the busiest times last year happened between 3 a.m. and 7 a.m. The most pressing gifts items needed are for ages 12 and up. Gift cards, electronics, Chiefs branded items, and makeup are all popular gift ideas. Information about the Cut-A-Thon is listed below: Main Cut-a-Thon Location What: 24 Hour Cut-A-Thon Holiday Gift Drive When: 3 pm Fri., Dec. 13 thru 3 pm Sat. Dec. 14 Where: Klassic Transformations Barber Academy   298 SW Blue Pkwy  Lee's Summit, MO 64063 Secondary Drop Off LocationWhat: Holiday Gift Drive drop off locationWhen: Fri., 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, and Sat., 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM.  Where: Klassic Guy Barber Lounge              979 NE Rice Rd.              Lee's Summit, MO