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TATTOOS FOR THE CURE

Noon-11:30 p.m. Saturday
Ink'd Chronicles, 264 W. 2nd St., Pomona
(909) 622-5351
www.inkdchronicles.com

POMONA ARTWALK

6-9 p.m. second and last Saturday of each month
Pomona Arts Colony, Garey Avenue and 2nd, 3rd, Main and Thomas Streets, Pomona.
Free.
www.pomonaartwalk.com
www.pomonaartscolony.com

Terry Dipple pulls up the leg of his jeans to reveal a pink ribbon tattoo on his calf. He had the ink done to show support for his fiance who had been undergoing radiation treatment for breast cancer at the Robert and Beverly Lewis Family Care Center, Pomona Valley Community Hospital.

"The experience, while it was a very emotional experience, getting to know the doctors and the facility was just something that immediately clicked with me," Dipple said.

Dipple had been seeking a unique way to celebrate the first anniversary of Ink'd Chronicles, the tattoo shop he owns in the Pomona Arts Colony, and decided to hold Tattoos for the Cure to benefit the Breast Health Program at Robert and Beverly Lewis Family Cancer Care Center.

Dipple had been seeking a unique way to celebrate the first anniversary of Ink'd Chronicles, the tattoo shop he owns in the Pomona Arts
Colony, and decided to hold Tattoos for the Cure to benefit the Breast Health Program at Robert and Beverly Lewis Family Cancer Care Center.

"It was very meaningful to have that type of event as a fundraiser for breast cancer," Dipple said. "I took a lot of time considering various names for the tattoo studio because I wanted it to be meaningful, so I selected Ink'd Chronicles because tattoos are really a chronicle in ink."
The shop's slogan is "every tattoo has a story" and Dipple saw a logical connection with those affected by cancer, whether they are patients or survivors or their families and friends.

Tattoos for the Cure will be held Saturday as part of the Pomona Artwalk. On the second and last Saturdays of every month, 18 galleries and spaces open their doors for an evening of free art and entertainment.

"It's a very popular event," Dipple said. "People come from all over to check out the art. There's a variety: It's not your paint-by-the-numbers type of art, it's abstract and contemporary. Most of the galleries serve some kind of refreshments. It's like a big reception that spills from one gallery to another."

There will be live music from Cardiac Black, Conspiracy of Thought, Tatonka, The Failures, The Sleeping Sea King and Tequila Hounds, plus a DJ, in front of Ink'd Chronicles. An art show and tattooing will be held inside.

All the proceeds from the tattoos ($80 and up) and 50 percent of the art sales will go to the Robert and Beverly Lewis Family Cancer Care Center. For the permanent-ink shy, temporary tattoos will be available for donations of any amount.

Appointments for tattoos are encouraged, although walk-ins will be accepted. Several families and groups of friends have already contacted Ink'd Chronicles to get on the schedule.

"It's been emotional to have conversations on the phone with these people I don't even know telling me why they want to get the tattoo." Dipple said. "A woman lost her daughter this year, who was in her 30s, to breast cancer and she wants to make an appointment for her and several family members. I was getting choked up on the phone."

If Dipple's name sounds familiar, it is. He was on the San Dimas City Council for 20 years, and served as the mayor for several of those years. In addition to owning Ink'd Chronicles, he also works in real estatedevelopment and is a consultant for the cities of Malibu, Calabasas and Agoura Hills. He has five grown children.

Dipple got his first tattoo six years ago - a heart in flames on the inside of his left forearm - as a bonding experience with his two eldest sons. His daughter, Tess Dipple, 19, works as a piercer at his shop.

He would like to make Tattoos for the Cure into an annual event.

"My goal is to get other tattoo shops involved because breast cancer touches everyone, it's not a certain age or anything like that," Dipple said.

Breast cancer crosses all ethnicities, socio-economic backgrounds and walks of life, he said. It affects both women and men in many ways.

"Tattoos for the Cure just seemed like the right thing to do," Dipple said. "You lead with your heart and it seems like something meaningful."

michelle.mills@sgvn.com

(626) 962-8811, Ext. 2128