A tattoo shop owner had an idea that’s blossomed into a fundraising event for the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando.
- Tattoo shop in Ybor starts 1-day fundraising event for Pulse victims
- The idea spreads to businesses across the globe
Aaron Michalowski, with Bloodline Tattoos in Ybor City, says he saw messages of hate on Facebook the day of the shootings and decided to do something.
“They weren’t doing anything. I said, ‘Let’s do something proactive,' ” he said.
Ybor tattoo shop Bloodline gave these tattoos Monday with a $50 donation. All the money will be donated to the Pulse shooting victims' fund.
Originally, only his tattoo shop was going to hold an event Monday to raise money for victims of the terrorist attack in Orlando. But other shops wanted to jump on board. Soon, it grew into a group of businesses, including one as far away as Australia.
"It hit us all hard. You never imagine something so terrible could happen so close to home,” Michalowski said. “Our communities are very intertwined and parallel.”
Morgan Nitt walked into Bloodline to get a tattoo in honor of her friends who were inside the nightclub the night of the shootings.
“I know five people who were there. Two of them suffered gunshot wounds, and one is still in critical condition in the hospital,” Nitt said.
Ybor City Barbering Company offered $5 #Pulse signs and $15 haircuts. (Erin Maloney, Staff)
Next door, Ybor City Barbering Company offered its own specials for the day, donating proceeds to the victims and their families.
Manager Nicholas Underwood knew it could have easily been him. He had plans to go to Orlando on Saturday to purchase an item for the barbershop.
Underwood learned the store would be closed, so he canceled his trip and his Saturday night at Pulse.
“It was a very eerie feeling getting messages and calls the next morning asking if I was alive,” Underwood said.
The businesses involved did not have a goal in mind for fundraising. But they hope to show victims and their families they stand with them.
List of businesses participating in Monday's event
FLORIDA
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Bloodline Tattoo
1411 E 7th Ave
Tampa, FL 33605
Ybor City Barbering Company
1409 E 7th Ave
Tampa, FL 33605
Foolish Pride Tattoo Co.
648 Central Ave
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Foolish Pride 2 Tattoo Co.
1606 Gulf to Bay Blvd
Clearwater, FL 33755
VaPOUR Ybor
1811 N 15th St
Tampa, FL 33605
True To You Tattoo
76 E Merritt Island Causeway
Suite 201
Merritt Island, FL 32952
Discount Tire Town
701 W Hillsborough Ave,
Tampa, FL 33603
Pharmacy Tattoos
6400 International Dr
Suite 120
Orlando, FL 32819
Legacy Blue Tattoo Studio
39318 US HWY 19 N.
Tarpon Springs, FL 34689
Finds and Redesigns
207 S. Parsons Ave
Brandon, FL 33511
Dixie Station Tattoo
902 E Reynolds St
Plant City, FL 33563
JK Auctions
2829 Badger Rd
Lakeland, FL
Chapel of Love
505 N Harbor City Blvd
Melbourne, FL
Cigar City Cider & Mead
1812 N 15th St
Tampa, FL 33605
MacDintons
242 1st Ave N
St Petersburg, FL 33701
LOST Galleries
6825 State Road 54
New Port Richey, FL 34653
Timepiece Tattoo
144 N Tyndall Pkwy
Panama City, FL 23404
NSB Tattoo Company
100 N Cooper St
New Smyrna Beach, FL 32169
FREDO INK & CO
951 Central Ave
St Petersburg, FL 33701
Orbit 19 Lounge
1542 US-19
Holiday, FL 34691
Sccentsy
Linda Dorremocea
https://lotushomescents.Scentsy.us/
Businesses donating time and skill in Florida:
-PixelLindy
305-741-4373
PixelLindy.com
-Sand Dance Entertainment
www.vjflashyashlee.com
www.sanddancerentertainment.com
-Promo Printing Group, Inc
1-866-831-9902
PromoPrinting.US
PENNSYLVANIA
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3 Treasures Tattoo
235 Cumberland St
Lebanon, PA 17042
Good Vibrations Ink
51 Ann St
Suite A
Pottsville, PA 17901
Hunter Gatherer Tattoo
4510 Walnut St
Philadelphia, PA 19139
The Barbary
951 Frankford Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19125
Danger Salon
108 E Girard Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19125
Nouveau Ink
5 S Market St
Selinsgrove, PA 17870
Rapture Tattoo Emporium
5 Ann St
Duncannon, PA 17020
GEORGIA
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Sacred Heart Tattoo
483 Moreland Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30307
Sacred Heart Tattoo & Social Club
300 E. Crossville Rd.
Roswell, GA 30075
WISCONSIN
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3rd Dimension
327 Main Ave
Suite B
De Pere, WI 54115
Skin Prints Tattoo
403 S Farwell St
Eau Claire, WI 54701
Next Generation Tattoo
440 S Central Ave
Marshfield, WI 54449
Akara Arts
2721 S Howell Ave
Milwaukee, WI 53207
MINNESOTA
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Pain INKorporated Tattoos and Piercings
323 S 6th St
Brainerd, MN
RM Tattoo / Better Days Body Art
504 Broadway St
Alexandria, MN 56308
NEW JERSEY
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Club 44 Tattoos
170 White Horse Pike
Absecon, NJ
Businesses donating time and skill in New Jersey:
Verbal Shenanigans
http://verbalshenaniganspodcast.podbean.com/
LOUSIANA
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Stained Skinz Tattoo Studio
3600 Mac Arthur Blvd
Suite D
New Orleans, LA 70114
OREGON
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Sideshow Alley Tattoo Auditorium
2504 SE 50th Ave
Portland, OR
Equinox Tattoo Collective
271 NE 3rd St
Gresham, OR 97030
VIRGINIA
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Heroes and Ghosts Tattoo
3035 W Cary St
Richmond, VA 23221
ILLINOIS
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Ovie Bar & Grill EXPRESS
120 N Canal
(In the Ogilvie Metra Course)
Chicago, IL
OHIO
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Flesh to Fantasy Tattoo Emporium
721 S Main St
Bellefontaine, OH 43311
American Crow Tattoo
265 Lincoln Cir, Ste E
Gahanna, OH 43230
Jaded Grace Portrait Art
Toledo, OH
Facebook.com/jadedgraceportraitart
TENNESSEE
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Body Graffix
2409 North Central St
Knoxville, TN 37917
MISSOURI
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Compass Point Tattoo
5816 Osage Beach Pkwy #102
Osage Beach, MO 65065
IDAHO
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The Beauty Repair Shop
106 West 17th St
Idaho Falls, ID 83402
COLORADO
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Total INKstruction
1005 W Main St
Sterling, CO 80751
Kris Davidson
Private Studio
Boulder, CO
krisd.net@gmail.com
NEW YORK
----------------
Saylor piercing
Studio 28 NYC
108 W 28th St
Manhattan, NY 10001
Amanda Wachob
Private Studio
NYC, NY
info@amandawachob.com
White Rabbit Tattoo
121 Essex St
New York NY 10002
WASHINGTON
--------------------
Evolve Seattle Professional Body Piercing
1715 E Olive Way
Seattle, WA
CALIFORNIA
-------------------
Black & Blue Tattoo
381 Guerrero St
San Francisco, CA 94103
Tahiti Felix's Master Tattoo Parlour & Museum
924 Fifth Ave
San Diego, CA 92101
TEXAS
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Skin Stories Tattoo
7110 Louetta Rd
Spring, TX 77379
MARYLAND
------------
Black Lotus Tattoo
7466 New Ridge Rd
Suite 22
Hanover, MD 21076
KENTUCKY
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Tatu Jefferson Mall
4801 Outer loop
Louisville, KY 40219
NORWAY
--------------
Grenland Tattoo
Storgata 136 Porsgrunn
SCOTLAND
----------------
HD Ink Tattoos
2 Union Rd, Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland
EH48 1NS
ENGLAND
----------------
Forge Motorsport
Gloucester
ww.ForgeMotorsport.co.uk
SWEDEN
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Brimstone Alley Custome Tattoo and Art
Brahegatan 38, 553 34
Jönköping, Sweden
CANADA
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Black Owl Tattoo Parlour
1016 Macleod Trail SE
Calgary, AB T2G 2M7, Canada
MEXICO
------------
Tahiti Felix's Master Tattoo
Tijuana, Mexico
AUSTRALIA
-----------------
Tahiti Felix's Master Tattoo Parlour
1/55 Elizabeth St. Mall
Hobart, Tasmania 7000
Australia