There is more than one way to remember.
Twisted Metal Tattoos is offering an opportunity to both remember and give back to fallen heros and their families. For the second year on Remembrance Day only, anyone getting a tattoo of a maple leaf or a poppy at the Langford shop will see their entire $50 cost of their body art passed on to the nearby Prince Edward Branch 91 of the Royal Canadian Legion.
“It’s an important one to us, because I used to be in the military so it’s my way of giving back,” said Twisted Metal owner Garrett Brown.
“(At) the Legion in Langford, there are some pretty cool guys, so we definitely don’t mind helping them out.”
Brown got the idea after spending time in Pearl Harbour, Hawaii, where the shops there offered military discounts on everything from clothes and cab rides, to surf boards and food. That level of commitment to the cause made him want to do more.
“They will bend over backwards – they remember what it means to give back. When I came back home (to Victoria), my town wasn’t like that.”
He fondly remembers how much the care of people in Hawaii meant to him. Now that he is in a position to give back, he said, “I just wanted to echo that back in my home town.”
Brown said last year they had a full house and tattooed from 8 a.m. until 3 a.m. the next morning, after which they dropped off a cheque for $1,200 for the Legion. Military personnel get 10 per cent off all year round, and for those tattoos worth $250 or more, an extra 10 per cent is passed along as a donation to the Legion.
“We had a good day and it was great and we gave them the money and they almost fell over backwards,” Brown said. “The appreciation they had made it all worth it. We decided to put all our energy into Remembrance Day and made a huge deal out of it and it was awesome. Our tattoo shop was full the entire day and it was great.”
The offer runs from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Nov. 11 at 867 Station Rd. For more details, visit Twisted Metal Tattoos on Facebook.
alim@goldstreamgazette.com
