Breast cancer battle taken up by Rocky Mountain tattoo Oct.

Lethbridge tattoo artists from Rocky Mountain Tattoo came together Oct. 14 to help raise awareness and money for breast cancer research through donations for a free cancer ribbon tattoo.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Canadian women. In 2017 26,300 women were diagnosed with the disease, with around 5,000 of those cases resulting in death, which is the lowest rate it has been since 1950.

Rocky Mountain Tattoo owner Lee Guerrine says the shop wanted to help raise funds for the charity because almost everyone there has been affected by cancer in their families, and they wanted to use their skills to give back to a deserving cause.

“My family has been touched by breast cancer and it hits close to home along with a lot of people around the shop, so it is very near and dear to us,” says Guerrine. “I was involved in one before and it was a really good turnout and I thought that it was a good one to do again. We ask for a minimum donation of $40 – we want to raise as much as we can and do as many tattoos as we possibly can in the time allowed.”

Throughout the day, people came into the shop, laid down on the table, and let the needle gun ink their skin to remind them of an obstacle they have overcome or are going through, or of a loved one they want to honour.

Fayla Vedres was one of the participants in the fundraiser, receiving a tattoo of a ribbon on her finger for her mother who was recently diagnosed with multiple myeloma.

She says that it has been one of the worst things that could happen, but wanted to show her support for cancer research and awareness.

“The ribbon that I am getting isn’t breast cancer, but cancer doesn’t discriminate anywhere to any person,” says Vedres.

“The more support and awareness that we brought to people going through it and their family is just important, and it feels good to know that there is other people there that can relate to the things that are going on and that the community cares and is there to help take care of people.”

This is the first year that Rocky Mountain Tattoo has done a fundraiser for charity.

With the success of this fundraiser, Guerrine says they would like to continue doing these charity walk-ins once or twice a year to help give back to deserving causes in the community.