The Costco Connection

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Real men braid can

FATHERS AND DAUGHTERS have long had a special relationship. But, for many generations, fathers were more of a protector than anything else. Now, dads often need to be able to fill in for mom.

“In the 20 years I’ve been in the business,
there are many more dads coming in to the
salon,” says hairstylist and Costco member
Cozy Friedman, who created and runs two
salons for kids in New York City. “There are
many more dads in charge of their kids’ hair.
The roles have changed at home.”
Noticing the proliferation of dads bring-
ing in their kids, she designed the Real Men
Can Braid class.

“What I’ve done in the class is to break it down, so it’s easier for dads,” she explains.

“One of the techniques we have is an acro-
nym, D-A-D. The first D stands for Distract. I
give the dads and daughters a copy of my
book [Cozy’s Complete Guide to Girls’ Hair;
available at socozy.com]. The girls look at the
hairstyles and pick the style they want. The A
The dads start with ponytails and work
their way to braiding, finishing with the
crowning achievement: the braided bun. “I
have never had a dad flunk,” Friedman laughs.

But much more is gained than simply a new skill.

“What they are getting is this really beautiful bonding experience that they don’t expect,” Friedman says. “I’ve taught this class to single dads, to two dads, to divorced dads … all kinds of relationships. A lot of times, the dads and the daughters don’t have that much in common. This is something that bridges that gap and becomes very special for them.”—Steve Fisher

Allan Ganz, the ice cream man ON A HOT summer day, nothing excites children of all ages more than the jingle of an approaching ice cream truck. Massachusetts Costco member Allan Ganz is very familiar with that jingle: He has been peddling ice cream on the streets of Boston and surrounding areas for almost 70 years.

“I started when I was 10 years old, in
1947,” says the now-78-year-old Ganz,
who made the rounds with his dad in the
older Ganz’s truck. “Ice cream in those
days was 5 and 10 cents.”
When the younger Ganz turned 16, his
father handed him the keys to the truck
and said, “Here. Go.” He’s been driving
ever since. Now on his own second truck,
Ganz says he used to drive 50 miles a day
but now hits 60 to 70 through the Boston
area as customers grow up and fan out.

“I’m on third generation, some fourth,” he says of his customer base.

Retired from his job with the U.S. Postal
Service, Ganz still spends seven months
a year on the truck, and lives in Florida
the rest of the time. Asked if he’s thought
about having a truck in Florida as well,
he says, “Why, at my age, would I want to
work 12 months a year?”
Ganz, who buys a lot of supplies for
his truck from Costco, recently earned a
Guinness World Record for the longest
career as an ice cream man. As to why he
still drives the truck, he says, “I love seeing
kids and putting a smile on their faces. It’s
worth a million dollars.”—SF