Ballard-based Singing Barber, 5500 8th Ave NW, just lost $12,000 in tools in a March 9 break-in.
A locally owned barber shop is holding a fundraiser to replace what was stolen. This is the second time he has been burglarized within the past year.
“This time we have suffered an even greater loss,” owner Demarquis Wigfall wrote in a letter to customers.
“While I am by no means leaving the area, this is definitely a turning point in thinking about the future of my role in ownership at Ballard.”
Items stolen include scissors and scissors valued at $9,000, clippers valued at $3,000, and a blow dryer valued at $500. Other damages include broken doors and locks.
Ashley Schoenberger, a hairstylist at The Singing Barber, has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help replace stolen items. The goal was set at $12,000. As of Tuesday afternoon, the campaign had raised $17,653 from 224 donors.
“Switching gears, I would like to talk about the Ballard community,” Wigfall wrote. “I am grateful for the time I spent here and the warmth of most of the people who came through the gates and the people I met in the city.
“There are people who don't want people like me to be there, but that's part of the problem of the whole world. We have to be able to exist in this world together, so Otherwise, the world will come to an end.
“We must give grace to each other, greet those who pass by, and try not to bring fear or hatred into our lives. It erodes civility, and then we, like other animals, become rare. You will have to fight to survive in this land.”