Breaking Silence Celebration and Benefit
Lucky 13 Tattooing is celebrating 13 years of business by fundraising for the Richmond YWCA, a non-profit organization supporting survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence.
The YWCA is also celebrating as they currently honor 130 years of providing service to survivors.
On Feb. 17 at the Broadberry, Lucky 13 organized a benefit for the YWCA titled Breaking Silence: A Richmond YWCA Benefit, where four local rock bands played. The bands included Venus Guytrap, Mistaker, The Hellhounds, and Octaine Saints. Venus Guytrap announced at the performance that it would be their second to last performance together as they play out one more time at Strange Matter this March.
In the back of the Broadberry a large sign reads “Virginia is for music lovers.” The phrase is a twist on the famed saying “Virginia is for lovers” and it’s factuality was shown Saturday as band members, tattoo artists and business owners came together in support of a great cause.
A raffle could also be entered to win at the Breaking Silence event with many prizes including contributions from Escape Room RVA and Awaken: Massage, Reiki, and Cupping, not to mention freebies from Lucky 13 itself. Two VCU freshman, sitting by the Mistaker merchandise table, explained they were there for Lucky 13 seeing as they were both proud customers.
According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence “1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner.”
Despite this percentage, only 17,664 domestic violence crimes were reported to Virginia law enforcement in 2012. The YWCA has a mission to empower people who have experienced domestic abuse.
“Help us break the silence against the violence that doesn’t always make the news,” reads the Facebook event summary for the fundraiser.
“It’s all a good cause,” shouted the lead singer of Mistaker from the stage Saturday night.
All proceeds from the event are to go to the YWCA as well as any extra contributions given by concert attendees to the organization, which also had a table set up along with the raffle and band merchandise.
Emma Sue Sims, Contributing Writer
