Liz Coccio didn’t get her first tattoo until she was 60 years old.

Now, she has two on her left arm to honor the memory of her daughter Elena, who passed away from ALS on March 1. Elena was 27.

To help raise funds for Her ALS Story, a group which helped Elena after her diagnosis, Coccio will host the Tattoo Flash Fundraiser at Sola Salon, located on 650 Bald Hill Road, on June 9 from noon to 7 p.m.

This will be the first major fundraising event Coccio has held since Elena’s death. Coccio chose to base her fundraiser around tattoos because of their significance to her daughter.

“We had a big party at our house, where Elena’s friend came here- she brought her stuff, she did around 12 tattoos here, and then she came another time and did more,” Coccio said. “So we decided that since that was something that the girls in Her ALS Story really liked, we would try and do a fundraiser for that.”

That friend, Alex Quinn, will be one of the tattoo artists working at the fundraiser on Sunday.

The event also had a last-minute change of venue, with Salon 102 in West Greenwich the original host. However, a fire in the building caused the salon to have to cancel events.

Sola Salon, though, proved to be a great option for Coccio to turn to, though not quite as big as Salon 102.

“We’re going to have to be in three separate little studios, but we’ll make it work,” Coccio said.

Each tattoo available is one that had special significance to Elena, such as one of a tomato, which was her favorite food, and another depicting the cover of her favorite album, Frank Ocean’s “Blonde.”

Additionally, a swallow tattoo will be available. Swallows, according to the Team Drea Foundation, are a symbol of solidarity and hope for those living with the disease. It’s traditional for those with ALS- and those close to them- to add an additional swallow for each additional year someone lives with the disease.

“Pretty much everybody that I know ended up getting one,” Coccio said.

Her ALS Story was founded in April of 2021 by Leah Stavenhagen, herself diagnosed with the disease at 27 years old.

Since its foundation, it has created a community for women diagnosed with ALS under the age of 35, with over 100 members on over four continents. It’s one that Liz and Elena found shortly after Elena’s diagnosis.

“They were really supportive for Elena,” Coccio said. “They had a WhatsApp chat group with the girls in it, and honest to God, every day there’s 1,000 messages in it. That’s how much support she had- if she had a question, she could throw it out there and ten other girls would have the same problem.”

Because Her ALS Story is entirely run and operated by women with ALS, the resources that they use and receive are somewhat limited.

Her ALS Story caps off each year with a retreat, which will be held on Cape Cod for the second consecutive year. Coccio said that the vast majority of the funds raised will go towards funding the retreat, which she expects will have more attendees than last year’s 34.

“There are people coming from all over the world,” Coccio said. “If they need help with the finances to get here, or to pay for their rooms and everything, we’re there.”

Coccio is hoping to raise upwards of $2,000 from the event, and she is expecting her and Elena’s friends to come out to honor her memory in full force.

“There’s been such a good response,” Coccio said. “It should be awesome.”

Tattoos are $100 per person, with anyone receiving two tattoos getting a reduced rate of $160 in total. There will also be a raffle at the event, with 20 different prizes.