Local Non-Profit Announces Winner in Top Tattoo Contest to Benefit Military Veterans

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Nov. 18, 2014 - PRLog -- The Jacksonville, FL., based National Association of Veterans and Families (NAVF) announced the winner of  its inaugural tattoo contest. First place and a prize of $250.00 for the best ink art  went to Chris Ren of Port Orange, FL, for  his tattoo of the Garden of Eden. More than 300 people entered photos of their tattoos during the month-long contest.

“The tattoo is my interpretation of the Garden of Eden from a surfer’s point of view. The wave is the central point highlighted by the reef and fish below, mountains in the background and an angel in the sky,” says Ren.

Since NAVF kicked off its tattoo contest last month, the contestants’ artwork photos drew nearly 27,000 views and more than 2,200 people voted for the best tattoos on the NAVF website.

The tattoo entries ranged from a simple finger mustache to a full back mural with elaborate designs of flowers and dragons.

Board and Chair President of NAVF Joe Solsona said he was amazed at the entries and the public support for the contest.

“The interest and support we received exceeded our expectations and was a great overall experience. We wanted to do something creative and exciting to engage the local community and to raise awareness about what our organization does. That’s what this contest did for us and we are very happy with the results,” says Solsona.

NAVF’s mission is to provide one-on-one assistance to American veterans and their families who have trouble accessing the government guaranteed benefits to which they are entitled. The NAVF works closely with the U.S. Bureau of Veterans Affairs and has earned a reputation for excellence with these agencies. As a result, the NAVF has helped thousands of deserving military veterans and their families access the care, money and services they earned serving America.

According to a survey conducted in March of this year by Anderson Robbins Research and Shaw & Company Research, one in five Americans has at least one tattoo. The survey adds that the number jumps to 36% among military veterans and those currently serving in the armed forces.

NAVF is a non-profit 501(c)(3) and relies on help and donations from the community.  In the next few months, NAVF will launch the “In lieu of flowers” campaign; an initiative that allows senior citizens to include NAVF in their funeral planning process. More information about NAVF can be found at http://navf.org.