Tattoo studio inks another Good Friday Appeal success

THE owner of Bacchus Marsh tattoo studio Disciples of Ink, Kieran Tyrrell, has hailed this year’s ‘Flash Day’ Good Friday event another success.

Mr Tyrrell and his team raised $7680 for the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal on the day, which was held for the first time in 2022.

That sum came from sales of tattooing tickets, a raffle and general donations.

Mr Tyrrell’s middle daughter, 14-year-old Imogene, has been under the care of the RCH since she was born. It was that connection that gave him the desire to raise money on Good Friday.

“Basically it’s the best way we thought we could give back,” he said. “She’s in there every couple of months for various things.”

Mr Tyrrell had promoted this year’s day as having a target of $10,000, but admitted that personally he would have been satisfied with $5000 given the current economic challenges facing families and individuals.

“Our record was $9700 in 2023; in 2024 we got eight-something…so to split the difference was pretty good,” he said.

“Every little bit helps.”

On a flash day, operators put up ‘flash’ sheets with designs on offer that day and their prices.

Mr Tyrrell’s version offers a selection of designs from four sheets with a limit on how much they cost.

“We just pumped through tattoos all day,” he said. “We started about nine in the morning and finished around about 8.30 or 9 o’clock at night.”

Mr Tyrrell said he and his sub-contractors Chrissy Button and Simon Wilson inked up to 60 tattoos for the day, while as many as 100 people were in and out of the Main Street studio.

He said people were obviously eager to be part of the event, with some waiting outside as early as 5.30am.

“There was the people getting tattooed and then there was the people coming in to buy raffle tickets or make a donation,” Mr Tyrrell said, adding that he was “very pleased” with the event.