Tattoo Lou’s donates thousands of free tattoos to support LI breast cancer research

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Tattoo Lou’s donates thousands of free tattoos to support LI breast cancer research
November 1, 2010
by Ashley Scorziello
Long Island Report

The waiting area in Tattoo Lou’s in West Babylon was packed with 22 people, as Gus Mercado, “Gus Gus”, tattooed a tiny pink ribbon on Jacqueline Ivans’ chest, on October 28.

The four Tattoo Lou’s locations on Long Island have been similarly busy every night since the beginning of October, when they announced they were offering “Free Ribbon” tattoos to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Throughout October, thousands of people visited the shops for a ribbon tattoo. Many were survivors themselves.

“It’s an amazing response we got on this, we have done over 2,000 “Free Ribbons” already,” owner Lou Jr. said on October 27. By Saturday October 30, the tattoo count was around 2,500.

Tattoo Lou’s is ending the program with a Breast Cancer Benefit and Artist Appreciation party on November 4, at Four Food Studio in Melville. It is open to the public, and admission is free.

From 9:30-11:00 p.m. there will be an open bar, with raffles for prizes including a $1,000 Tattoo Lou’s gift certificate, a 42 inch Plasma T.V. and gift certificates to restaurants and salons all over Long Island.

All of the proceeds from the event, plus $2,500 that Tattoo Lou’s has raised in donations over the course of the month, will be presented to the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund, Inc.

The Tattoo Lou’s shops hold community events and fundraisers for several causes throughout the year, and this is the second time they have run an event for breast cancer.

Last year, they offered half-priced ribbon tattoos, but this year they went a step further.

Marketing Director Mark Perez said, “This year, me and Lou came to the agreement that we were just going to do them for free.”

“We talked to the artists about it, they said they were cool with it, and we just went with it,” he said. “I think we decided the whole thing in about 15 minutes.”

Mark said the stores have a very strong online community, and their advertising reaches a big audience, so they were able to spread the word quickly.

“Once we put the word out, we immediately had about 100 people in each shop,” Perez said.

Maryellen Ronan Rattazzi found out about the “Free Ribbons” through a friend’s Facebook post. She went to the Huntington location to get a ribbon on the outside of her left ankle, to honor her mother-in-law and cousin who are both breast cancer survivors. She also made a donation to the cause.

Melissa Adkison heard about the tattoos from a woman at a local gas station. She went to the West Babylon shop and got her Free Ribbon on the back of her neck to honor her godmother, who had breast cancer. “Anything to help,” she said.

Of the four shops, located in West Babylon, Saint James, Selden and Huntington, the West Babylon and Selden locations were the busiest, Lou said. On some days, each of those shops did over 60 ribbons.

Both Lou and Mark were eager to do something to give back to the Long Island community, and contribute to such a good cause, when they decided to do the “Free Ribbons.”

Lou says cancer appears to be “an epidemic more on Long Island than anywhere else.”

“With that in mind, and considering the state of our economy at the moment, it just seemed like the right thing to do to honor our customers and fellow Long Islanders who have continued to support Tattoo Lou’s and make us the number one tattoo shop on Long Island.”

The desire to give back was shared by the artists at Tattoo Lou’s as well.

“There was full participation from all of the artists, it was great,” Lou said. “Everyone was happy to participate for such a good cause, out of the goodness of their hearts. They tattooed until their fingers were ready to fall off.”