Coast Guard Back-to-School Drive Offers Free Haircuts in San Pedro

The Belize Coast Guard Sector North held its Back-to-School Drive on Wednesday, August 26th, at Central Park in San Pedro Town, in coordination with the San Pedro Town Council. The initiative provided children with free haircuts, hair braiding, and basic health checks as they prepared to return to school.
The community outreach activity formed part of a countrywide Coast Guard initiative to support communities where its personnel operate. According to Lieutenant Junior Grade Ardon Budna, coordinator of the initiative, San Pedro was selected because of the Coast Guard’s significant presence in the area, which includes the Hol Chan Marine Reserve and surrounding waters with frequent vessel traffic. He said the drive was intended to help children begin the school year with fresh haircuts while strengthening relations between the Coast Guard and the community.
Fifteen Coast Guard members participated in the San Pedro activity. The team included barbers, two female personnel who assisted with hair braiding, and two medics who conducted basic health checks, including monitoring vital signs and blood pressure. The Back-to-School Drive ran from 9AM to 3PM.
The San Pedro event was one of several activities organized across the country. The initiative began in Consejo and Sarteneja on August 24th, followed by Caye Caulker on the 25th and San Pedro on the 26th—a separate team operated in southern Belize, visiting communities including Hopkins, Independence, and Punta Gorda.
Budna said the activity also provided an opportunity to clarify the Coast Guard’s role in the community. “The Coast Guard is not here to harass any citizen of Belize. We are here to protect and serve,” he said. He added that beyond enforcing the law, Coast Guard personnel consider themselves friends of the community and seek opportunities to assist residents. Budna thanked the San Pedro Town Council for facilitating the program and the public for supporting the initiative.
The outreach provided practical assistance to families on tight budgets as they prepared their children for the new school year, while encouraging continued cooperation between the Belize Coast Guard and communities across the country.