Fort Collins’ Oldest Tattoo and Piercing Studio Celebrates Three Decades by Giving Back to the Local Community
Tribal Rites Tattoo & Body Piercing is excited to celebrate their 30th anniversary with a benefit for the Rocky Mountain Raptor Program (RMRP) on Saturday, March 23. Tribal Rites will donate 30 percent of all sales for the day to the RMRP. Selected tattoo artists will offer custom-drawn designs, and the studio will be open with normal business hours (12-8 p.m.). Piercings will be available by appointment, and the staff will do their best to take as many walk-ins as possible.
Tribal Rites will host a number of events to celebrate the anniversary, beginning with a charity day to support its favorite charity, RMRC, an incredibly important institution that does amazing work with local raptors. On March 23, from 12-3 p.m., volunteers from the RMRP will be present to answer questions and talk about their favorite subject: raptors. Tattoo artists will offer custom designs for the day’s event; the designs can’t be altered and will be offered on a first come first serve basis.
“Curtis and I have always felt that the Rocky Mountain Raptor Program does valuable work for the sustainability of Northern Colorado. Raptors are such an important and integral part of our ecosystem, not to mention fun and challenging to draw,” says Chad Williams, co-owner of Tribal Rites.
Tribal Rites’ connection to the RMRP began more than 10 years ago when Curtis Burgess, the studio’s other owner, began spending time at the Environmental Learning Center in Fort Collins, observing and drawing the birds that the RMRP had placed in enclosures there. Around that time, Tribal Rites was celebrating its 20-year anniversary and decided to do a benefit for the Raptor Program. The benefit went really well, and the designs created for the event became the inspiration for the studio’s current business logo.
“We are so happy Tribal Rites has committed to another event. We had a really good time years ago for their 20th anniversary, and we are really excited to be there again with some birds, and to to share what we do and what makes the program special with their customers,” says Jessica Miller, education and outreach coordinator for RMRP.
