Ravenna tattoo studio raises over 1,000 donated food items for Center of Hope
War Horse is giving away thousands of dollars of gift certificates in exchange for the donations
Days before Christmas, Clint Marsh, owner and operator of War Horse Ink, helped Center of Hope volunteers load two trucks full of donated nonperishable food. These goods, donated to War Horse Ink Ravenna, made their way to the Center’s food pantry and kitchen.
Marsh, a veteran of the Global War on Terror, created a raffle early last month with the help of Ravenna Chamber of Commerce at his flagship tattoo studio with the goal of gathering as many donated goods as possible for the Center of Hope, which offers food assistance, a warming center and serves hot meals daily.
Entry into the raffle was simple: For every donated good a person received one raffle ticket. The prizes for the four winners of the raffle, who will be announced Monday, are gift certificates to War Horse ranging from $250 to $1,000.
“It’s important for me to help others in my community,” Marsh said. “If I can help someone, I want to be known as someone who will.”
Marsh owns and operates two other tattoo studios in Portage County under the War Horse banner in Kent and a newly opened shop in Streetsboro. Despite the expansion he says the raffle being based in Ravenna is important for him. On top of the food drive, artists at War Horse have painted three murals throughout downtown.
“We want people to know that War Horse is Ravenna’s tattoo’s shop,” Marsh said.
The Ravenna War Horse studio, currently being expanded to include a second floor, is the former home of First Merit Bank. The space still retains remnants of its former occupiers, including the large vault which sits in the back of the building. Formerly housing money and bonds, the vault found new life storing all of the donated goods.
Sifting through the manila envelope of raffle tickets and piles of dry goods, Marsh described the pile as being “well into the thousands,” and containing goods that will help meet people’s nutritional needs. Pasta, canned vegetables, sauces and cereals were just some of the many wares he pulled out of the vault.
In a Dec. 18 Facebook post, the Center of Hope posted a photo of three carts and a table full of donated goods thanking War Horse and the community for their support. “A HUGE thank you to War Horse Ink in Ravenna for doing this wonderful raffle for us!! We couldn’t do what we do without our community!”
Marsh will be announcing the winners of the raffle Monday via Facebook Live.
