GTWC and Paragon Tattoo Use Ink to Get Toys for Children by Shelby Horton - City News Group, Inc.
View Upcoming Events View Your Local Sales

Community Calendar

◄ NOVEMBER ►
S M T W T F S
01 02 03 04 05 06 07
08 09 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 01 02 03 04 05
View Events
Submit Events
directory

GTWC and Paragon Tattoo Use Ink to Get Toys for Children

By Shelby Horton, Staff Writer
December 21, 2016 at 01:14pm. Views: 212

MORENO VALLEY>> A toy in exchange for a tattoo is not the first thing many people would think of when trying to come up with a charity idea to help kids in need. But Julius Vargas, owner of Paragon Tattoo Studio located in Moreno Valley, and Debbie Earle, former Grand Terrace Women’s Club president and current publicist, said they saw it as a great way to give to the community during the holiday season. In 2010, while Earle was the President of the Grand Terrace Women’s Club, she was contacted by Vargas who had just opened a new tattoo studio in town. Vargas was looking for ways he could get involved in the community and help out those in need. He came up with the idea of giving away tattoos in exchange for unwrapped toys that could be donated to children in need. This is how “Toys for Tats” was born. “When I first presented it to the board they were a bit shocked at the idea, but these guys had kind hearts and wanted to help out the kids in our community,” Earle said. Now, the Grand Terrace Women’s Club has been partnering with Vargas and his tattoo shop for the last seven years with success. On Sunday, Dec. 11, Vargas and his staff offered to do 3X3 tattoos for people that brought in unwrapped toys that were worth $15. “I just wanted to help out the community and give something back to those who needed it,” Vargas said. This is all done in order to help the Women’s Club Child Help Program where they help out children in need. Paragon Tattoo Studio provides the toys, the Grand Terrace Women’s Club provides clothes, and Grand Terrace Lion’s Club and Women’s Club both provides Stater Bros. Market gift cards. This year Paragon Tattoo Studio was able to collect a total of 225 toys for the Child Help Program. “Julius was completely involved throughout everything, he is a man with a heart of gold,” Earle said. Earle said she was grateful for the hard work that Vargas and Paragon Tattoo did for their program and all the hard work the Grand Terrace Women’s Club Chairman, Claire Kidd, did to keep this program running in great shape. As for Vargas, he said that he is just happy to do it and give a helping hand to those in need.

Related Articles

Photo Courtesy of: TME Photography by Titan Mom Elvira

By Titan Mom Elvira, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:26pm. Views: 809

Athlete of the Week Christopher Michael Lemos, Redlands High School Junior and Varsity Quarterback, proudly represents the Terriers with his dedication, leadership, and passion for the game.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:26pm. Views: 1441

Redlands Pottery Project joins A.K. Smiley Public Library for a November 14 workshop designed for young artists ages 13 to 18. A lump of clay may not look like much at first. In the hands of a young artist, however, it can become a bowl, a decorative sculpture or an entirely unexpected creation.

Photo Courtesy of: https://www.redlands.edu/

By William Cortez, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:26pm. Views: 2811

The University of Redlands Department of Theatre and Dance will present Día de los Muertos and Other Folk Tales November 5 through 8, 2026. Stories told by grandparents often become treasured parts of a family's history. Some are humorous, others mysterious, and many carry lessons that remain meaningful long after the storyteller is gone.

Photo Courtesy of: UC San Diego's ALERTCalifornia

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:26pm. Views: 882

A remote wildfire-monitoring camera overlooks a Southern California landscape. Redlands has partnered with UC San Diego's ALERTCalifornia program to improve monitoring of areas near northern Redlands and the Santa Ana River wash.

Photo Courtesy of: https://www.akspl.org/events/

By William Cortez, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:26pm. Views: 1805

Annual ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial Shrine will bring American history to life on November 21. On a November morning in Redlands, the sounds of fifes, drums and historic artillery will offer residents an opportunity to experience a chapter of American history that continues to influence the nation more than 160 years after the Civil War.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group

By Stella Pierce, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:18pm. Views: 802

The first years of a child's life are filled with milestones that families often remember forever. A baby's first smile, the first attempt to crawl and the first spoken words are moments of celebration. They can also bring questions, uncertainty and new responsibilities for parents learning how to care for a growing child.

Photo Courtesy of: https://www.csusb.edu/

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:06pm. Views: 862

CSUSB’s Department of Physics and Astronomy has earned recognition for it for its work to create a more inclusive, diverse and supportive physics department, earning the Bronze Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science Physics & Astronomy SEA Change program.

Photo Courtesy of: https://www.naco.org/program/operation-green-light-veterans

By William Cortez, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:06pm. Views: 2120

Operation Green Light returns November 4–11, encouraging residents to recognize military service and help veterans connect with available resources. As darkness settles over San Bernardino during the first week of November, green lights will illuminate several county buildings, transforming familiar government facilities into visible reminders of the sacrifices made by America's military veterans.

Photo Courtesy of: https://www.authentikusa.com/

By Amanda Spencer, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:06pm. Views: 921

As America's most famous highway celebrates its centennial in 2026, San Bernardino reflects on the road that helped shape its neighborhoods, businesses and identity. Long before interstate highways became the preferred routes for cross-country travel, motorists making their way through San Bernardino followed a road that would become one of the most recognizable highways in American history.

Photo Courtesy of: Corina Borsuk and provided courtesy of SBCUSD

By Amanda Spencer, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:06pm. Views: 728

Muscoy Elementary students join SBCUSD Superintendent Mauricio Arellano, Board of Education President Mayra Ceballos, Assistant Superintendents Dr. Sandra Rodriguez and Dr. Tasha Doizan, Director MaryRone Goodwin and San Bernardino County Supervisor Joe Baca Jr. for the official ribbon cutting ceremony that opened the school’s new outdoor learning center.

Photo Courtesy of: https://riversiderecord.org/; A photo of Moreno Valley City Hall. (Alicia Ramirez/The Riverside Record) Credit: (Photo by Alicia

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:39pm. Views: 1006

A city is often judged by what residents experience every day: the condition of its streets, the reliability of public services, the availability of recreational programs and the ease of obtaining information from local government. Behind those everyday experiences are departments and employees whose work rarely attracts national attention.

Photo Courtesy of: TME Photography by Titan Mom Elvira

By Titan Mom Elvira, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:39pm. Views: 904

Athlete of the Week Zachary Scott Perez, Senior at John W. North High School, is recognized as Athlete of the Week for his dedication and accomplishments as a student athlete.

--> -->