ROSEVILLE, Calif. — Wild Bill’s Tattoo in Roseville hosted a tattoo-a-thon to raise money for UC Davis Children’s Hospital.
The cause is close to Sacramento native Nicole Guzman’s heart.
"I got a lung tattoo with a bandage on the right lung,” said Guzman. "It's representative of my youngest sister Kaylie. She goes to UC Davis PICU a lot."
PICU stands for Pediatric and Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. The unit at UC Davis Children’s Hospital offers care for critically ill and injured children.
"We're frequent flyers there unfortunately so we know all the nurses,” said Guzman.
All of the proceeds from Wild Bill's Tattoo-a-thon, including tips, are donated to UC Davis Children’s Hospital. The shop team says they've been hosting this event for 20 years now.
"It means a lot and we see that the money raised here actually in action at the hospital. We see the equipment and it's nice to have something to rely on when we're at the hospital,” said Guzman.
She wasn't the only one getting a tattoo with a special meaning. Jennifer Combs from Rocklin came out to get matching tattoos with her mother, who is a breast cancer survivor.
Over the years, Wild Bill’s has raised more than $275,000 for UC Davis Children’s Hospital.
Tattoo artists, like Sara Lynn, volunteer their time for the event.
"Over 25 tattoo artists today volunteering from all over. Some flew in to participate in the event,” said Lynn.
Lynn said she’s been tattooing for 10 years. She started her shift for the event at 8 a.m. Saturday and will work until midnight when the event ends. She worked on a variety of styles and images throughout the day, but her favorite styles are Polynesian and Filipino tribal.
She says she feels privileged to tattoo for this cause.
"I enjoy it," said Lynn. "It's a good way to connect with people, too."
