‘Ink for a Cure’ idea catches on as ribbons tattooed for cancer fundraiser

EVERETT — Taylor Bass didn’t know how many people would be interested in the Relay For Life fundraiser she was organizing.

In the weeks leading up to the event at Sick Creation Tattoo on Evergreen Way she posted signs, called friends and started an “Ink for a Cure” Facebook page.

People wanting to get a cancer ribbon tattoo and donate to the American Cancer Society started arriving at the shop 40 minutes early Wednesday.

“We weren’t even set up yet,” said Bass, 21. “I’m really happy.”

Three artists at Sick Creation Tattoo agreed to give $20 cancer ribbon tattoos with proceeds going toward Relay for Life, an event that benefits the American Cancer Society. The artists agreed to tattoo for 24 hours straight as long as there were people who were interested in getting the tattoos.

Bass, who lives in Snohomish, came up with the fundraiser idea with help from tattoo artist Eddie Ramirez after she participated in a Paint the Town Purple Relay For Life event on April 9 in Lake Stevens. Ramirez told her his mother had breast cancer when he was young. She told him she wanted to plan a fundraiser to honor her cousin who had colon cancer. He agreed to help.

Ink for a Cure is “an out of the box kind of fundraiser” that sounded like fun to Kim Demary, chairwoman of Relay For Life of Lake Stevens.

“I think it’s an absolutely amazing idea,” Demary said. “You get the bake sales, you get the car washes, you get the raffle baskets, you get all that, but I’ve never seen this done.”

Bass met Demary in November when she attended a Relay for Life of Lake Stevens team meeting along with her niece, Chloe Pearson. She joined the committee and “Team Josh” in honor of her cousin, Josh Knoepfle, who was diagnosed with colon cancer in August. The diagnosis came just weeks before their wedding, said his wife, Jessica Knoepfle.

“He started feeling off and I actually thought it was cold feet because we were getting married in September,” she said.

The couple learned a tumor in his colon was probably cancerous. They canceled the wedding ceremony they’d been planing, and instead exchanged vows in their living room days before his surgery. The cancer was caught early and her husband is healthy now, said Knoepfle, 34.

“He’s the Cinderella story of cancer,” she said. “He was really lucky.”

Knoepfle and her husband plan to join the rest of the team at the Relay For Life of Lake Stevens May 14 and 15 at Lake Stevens High School. They were glad to hear about the fundraiser, she said.

“We are kind of private people, and we don’t ask for help so we were really touched that she would think to do it in Josh’s honor,” Knoepfle said. “The amount of people that are willing to give is pretty astounding.”

Knoepfle was thinking about getting a tattoo on Wednesday afternoon while Demary had a purple ribbon tattooed on her left ankle. Chloe, a junior at Lake Stevens High School, helped Bass at the front counter where chocolate-covered coffee beans, “Team Josh” bracelets and “Ink for a Cure” T-shirts were for sale. She knew how long she has to wait until her 18th birthday when she can get her own cancer ribbon tattoo.

“I’m getting mine soon,” she said. “Seven months and 22 days. I’m counting down.”

Adrienne Pedranti, 24, and her fiance Mark Searing, 30, of Tukwila found out about the event through someone who is friends with Bass. They both had ribbons done in honor of family members who had cancer. Pedranti, who is a cancer survivor, paid more money to have blue and purple butterfly wings added to the pink ribbon on her upper left arm.

“I always do the (Susan G.) Komen runs with my mom,” she said. “I was meaning to do this.”

A total of 28 people had signed up for tattoos by 6 p.m. on Wednesday evening, Bass said. She had plans to have her own tattoo done later in the evening.

“It’s going really well, and I’m getting to hear a lot of people’s stories so that has been really nice,” she said.

Both she and Ramirez said they were ready to stay up all night if necessary.

“It’s for a good cause,” Ramirez said. “I’ve never met Josh, but I hope this helps out.”

Amy Daybert: 425-339-3491; adaybert@heraldnet.com.