ED – Dustin Orr displays some of his tattoos at Texas Tattoo and Company near Decatur. The business will be sight of a benefit horseshoe tournament Sunday. Messenger photo by Joe Duty

A new tattoo shop near Decatur is using their love of ink to help a friend who was recently diagnosed with leukemia.

Lance Bias is a single father. But two days before Father’s Day, he was diagnosed with leukemia.

”He’s been in the hospital for over a month; the bills are adding up, so we wanted to do something to help,” said Joshua Johnson, co-owner of Texas Tattoos and Co. located at 562 FM 1810.

On Sunday afternoon, the shop is holding a horseshoe tournament and offering tattoos at a discount rate to help raise money for Bias.

“We’re just asking people to come play horseshoes, and we’ll be doing half-price tattoos,” Johnson said. “We’re only going to keep money to pay for the materials. The rest of the proceeds will go to Lance. If we can get at least 30 customers, we can raise at least $1,100 for him.”

Johnson is a local man who attended Decatur High School and has been practicing skin art for 17 years. In March he opened the studio, which has five employees. He said this is a chance for the shop to help someone in the community. The shop will continue to give tattoos throughout the month to benefit Bias.

The horseshoes tournament will cost $20 per two-person team. First-place team members get a $100 tattoo. Second gets a $40 tattoo. All proceeds benefit Bias.

The event starts behind the shop at 2 p.m. For information, call (940) 488-9903, (940) 210-9406 or (940) 389-9003.

On Saturday, Carter Blood Care is holding a blood drive in Decatur which also benefit Bias.

HELPING A FRIEND – Texas Tattoos and Co. co-owner Joshua Johnson, center, said his company wanted to do something to help his friend Lance Bias with hospital expenses after his recent leukemia diagnosis. Also pictured is Dustin Orr, left, and Chris Akins. Messenger photo by Joe Duty