Tattoo Artist Uses Talent To Get People Inked For Education
HATBOROR, Pa. (CBS) -- A tattoo shop in Hatboro held a unique fundraiser Monday to support a new public charter school for Montgomery County.
Ray Petty, co-owner of Cosmic Primate Tattoo, came up with the idea to raise money for Good Earth Charter School. It's where he hopes to send his young daughters one day.
"I just figured if we offered up some cheap tattoos, and we filled this place with people, and we did some cool tattoos, we could have a lot of fun, make a lot of money and make some money for the cause," he said.
Petty was right. Customers began filing in at noon to put their names on a waiting list. Witj a $20 donation, they could pick from a sheet of various body art. By 7 p.m., the volunteer artists drew around 70 tattoos.
The promotion not only exposed many people to their very first tattoo, but also to the mission behind Good Earth, rooted in a Waldorf education philosophy. The school's founders are applying to the Hatboro Horsham School Board in the hopes of opening in 2017.
"The education model is head, heart and hands, so the idea that in addition to academics, you're really doing a lot of social emotional upbringing, you're doing a lot of hands-on teaching, a lot of manipulatives," said Good Earth founding board member Kate Kolbe. "A lot of really getting out there and learning by doing."
Mom Shannon Mulhearn is no stranger to tattoos, but was excited to hear about the innovative education model possibly coming to the area.
"Compared to regular school, where a lot of kids don't have a great time, they're not happy," she said. "I'm all for something better. I wish I had it."
The fundraiser is the school's most successful one yet. They expected to raise upwards of $2000 by the end of the night.
