People wearing hats and coats huddled and chatted, sending condensation from their breath and words into the air.<\/p>\n
The small crowd was waiting for Taku Tattoo to open its doors at 10 a.m. and begin scheduling appointments for a suicide prevention tattoo special. For Friday, Nov. 30, business card-sized tattoos were $50 with half of the proceeds going toward Juneau Suicide Prevention Coalition.<\/p>\n
“The response has been incredible,” said shop manager Amy Ridle.<\/p>\n
Kathryn Beers was part of the morning crowd, and she planned to get “Be Kind ;” tattooed in honor of her friend’s deceased brother, Tommy Weeks.<\/p>\n
“It’s a reminder to be kind to myself as well as others,” Beers said.<\/p>\n
The semicolon included with the simple phrase is in reference to the punctuation mark’s status as a suicide prevention symbol. The mark shows that an author could have ended a sentence, but chose instead to continue.<\/p>\n
The planned tattoo is Beers’ second. She received her first in August.<\/p>\n
“I figured, what the hell, I’m not getting any younger,” Beers said. “When they say tattoos are addicting, they aren’t kidding.”<\/p>\n
Her first tattoo, a depiction of fireweed, is also a personal symbol.<\/p>\n
As a survivor of gender-based violence, Beers said she found the resilient plant inspirational and had it tattooed on the back of her ankle, where it could put down roots.<\/p>\n
“No matter what you do, the fireweed comes back,” Beers said.<\/p>\n
First-time tattoos and moms<\/strong><\/p>\n Jonathan Funk was one of the first-timers getting a tattoo. He was wearing a suicide prevention sweatshirt when he showed up to sign up for an appointment.<\/p>\n “I’m getting it because suicide is an issue that’s near and dear to my heart,” Funk said.<\/p>\n He declined to share more but said a semicolon tattoo was something he had been thinking of getting for a while, and the prevention event offered a great opportunity to get it.<\/p>\n When Funk returned to get his water color-inspired tattoo, he was joined by his mom, Pat Funk, who was there for support.<\/p>\n “He sold it,” she said. “I was pretty hesitant. Who knows, I might be in here one of these days.”<\/p>\n That day had come for Theresa Hinchman and her daughter, Erica Ranney who was visiting from Prince of Wales. Each got matching butterfly tattoos that incorporated semicolons.<\/p>\n They were in memory of Hinchman’s daughter and Ranney’s sister, who they lost to suicide.<\/p>\n “Since it’s for suicide prevention, I just wanted to be in town,” Ranney said.<\/p>\n Hinchman was pleased with her tattoo and after it was completed took cellphone photos of their matching ink.<\/p>\n “I love it,” she said.<\/p>\n Davina Cole also had her heart set on a semicolon design.<\/p>\n Cole’s semicolon was a self-designed piece that included elements of the Northwest art form formline based on input from Tlingit artist Wayne Price.<\/p>\n “I got excited about trying it out in formline,” Cole said. “I consider myself more of a dabbler.”<\/p>\n And she stressed the importance of the suicide prevention.<\/p>\n “Anything about suicide awareness is very important, especially in this town,” Cole said.<\/p>\n She said when people are lost to suicide, it’s often swept under the rug and not talked about.<\/p>\n “That’s not how you deal with an epidemic,” Cole said. <\/p>\n Group effort<\/strong><\/p>\n Jan Reece, outreach coordinator for Juneau Suicide Prevention Coalition, said she was impressed with interest in the event.<\/p>\n Before 11 a.m. almost 20 people had already signed up to get tattoos, and nearly 70 people had expressed interest in doing so on Facebook.<\/p>\n “I don’t know when we’ll cut it off,” Ridle said. “We’re ready to stay late.”<\/p>\n The idea for the fundraiser and recognition of Survivor Day, which was Nov. 17, came from collaboration between Ridle and Juneau Suicide Prevention Coalition employees, and it received a boost from other Juneau businesses.<\/p>\n Reece said the special event was supported by a baked goods donation from Pie in the Sky, lunch for the tattoo artists from Juneau Pizza and a flower arrangement from Martha’s Flowers & Gifts.<\/p>\n “I’m really impressed with the stories we’ve been able to share,” Reece said.<\/p>\n She was also pleased with what the community support will enable her organization to do.<\/p>\n “We’re going to use the funding to bring a documentary to the Gold Town the first of the year,” Reece said.<\/p>\n \u2022 Contact arts and culture reporter Ben Hohenstatt at (907)523-2243 or bhohenstatt@juneauempire.com.<\/b><\/p>\n
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