A national record attempt is being made in Emmen today. At Tattoo Shop Ink Heaven, 60 tattoos had to be done in nine hours. Meanwhile, money is being raised for the Veterans Search Team.
That team was set up in 2017 around the disappearance of Anne Faber from Utrecht. Veterans jointly searched for Faber and since then the Veteran Search Team (VST) has been a loyal partner for the police in missing persons cases. Richard Stevens is an Afghanistan veteran and partner of the owner of the business, Jackie van der Aa. He is now also a volunteer with the Veterans Search Team. “If you know how to find someone together and can give a family peace of mind, it feels very good.”
VST consists of about 85 percent of war veterans. But former police officers and other uniformed people also help in perhaps sixty cases a year. Missing persons are common in the Netherlands and the VST automatically plays a role in many of these cases.
To give the VST a financial support, a record attempt to get tattoos is being made. “We are going for sixty,” says Van der Aa. “It may well be that we spend a little longer on that. We are not going to rush tattoos.”
About 15 percent of the proceeds ultimately go to the VST. This organization is mainly dependent on private donations and can use the money well. “An effort can easily cost 1,000 euros,” says volunteer Jorgos. “But if something breaks, such as a drone, you will of course lose more money.”
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