Colorado Springs tattoo parlor holds benefit for Club Q victims
Nov. 22—When Carl Sanders first heard about Saturday's mass shooting that left five dead and 18 injured at Club Q in Colorado Springs, his first thought was to reach out to his friends in the LGBTQ community.
"Thankfully, they're all OK," said Sanders, a tattoo artist at West Side Tattoo on Colorado Avenue.
Once he knew his friends were safe, Sanders turned his thoughts to a wounded community. He felt compelled to do something to help with the healing process.
"I called the owner (of West Side Tattoo) and told him I wanted to do something," he said.
On Tuesday, the tattoo parlor held a benefit for the Club Q victims and their families. Sanders created nearly two dozen designs for the benefit, available for $100 or $200, depending on the intricacy of the art. All proceeds were matched by the shop, so "every $100 I make will turn into $200" toward helping the victims, Sanders said.
"This is the only way I know to help out," he said. "So here I am. I'm just trying to do my part."
The funds will be donated through the Colorado Healing Fund, a Denver-based victims' advocacy nonprofit that has already raised nearly $250,000 in response to the Club Q tragedy.
"I think the community needs to know they have the support of local businesses," Sanders said. "I also think they need to know they have a safe space here. They have friends here. There are people here who stand beside them."
At about 3 p.m. Tuesday, Sanders had a full waiting room of customers ready to get some ink for charity.
"I have been blown away by the turnout," he said. "People want to do their part."
Kristy Rios was friends with Derrick Rump, a Club Q bartender who died in Saturday's shooting.
"He was such a great guy," Rios said. "When something like this happens, you don't know what to do, but you want to do something."
Devastated by the death of her friend, Rios drove from her Denver home to visit the Club Q victims' memorial on Academy Boulevard. There, she heard about the West Side Tattoo benefit.
"This is my way of showing love to the community," said Rios, who got a Colorado "C" logo in rainbow colors on her forearm.
Sanders said he hopes the city will reach out to embrace a community that is reeling with anger, sadness, fear and uncertainty after an attack that killed and injured dozens of its members.
"(LGBTQ residents) are as much a part of Colorado Springs as anyone else, so this was an attack on all of us," he said. "I think we all need community. Without it, everyone is alone. And that's a horrible thing."
