A flurry of fundraisers, memories and heartfelt reminiscing have made the rounds within the industry in honor of 40-year tinting veteran Billy Aiton, who doctors say has a few months left to live following a cancer diagnosis late last year. The window film industry always supports those in need, and this effort goes above and beyond in more ways than one.
Industry Vets Fundraise
Other industry members who've known Aiton have also stepped up and used their talents to help.
Randy Humphries, owner of Tint Works in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, has offered an exclusive three-day paint protection film (PPF) training session at his shop in support of Aiton. Limited at first to just four individuals, the cost was $2,000, it expanded to six students due to demand. The session sold out, with all proceeds going to support Aiton.
"If I was given a timeline to live, the last thing I want to worry about is how my bills will get paid," Humphries says. "I just want to know my family's taken care of. The training filled up real fast-I'm closing my shop down for basically four days. I'm passing on a skill and helping Billy."
Chris Brooks, owner of Kauff's Tint and Graphics, also offered a three-day vinyl wrap training at his Florida-based shop where the $2,000 training fee will be collected by Tinters for a Cause, making it a tax-deductible donation to support Aiton and his family.
"I've known Billy for something like 12, 14 years. He's one of the old-school tinters like me," Brooks says. "I hate to see another brother be down. If I can help a little bit, I'll pay it forward."
Each student will receive the following materials following the training at no cost:
- Wrap material from Hexis;
- Wrap kit and tools from Tinta;
- Ceramic coatings from GeoShield;
- A digital heat gun from Eastman;
- A glass coating kit from Glassparency;
- Two film rolls for training from Accent Distributing;
- Ten yards per trainee of 3M 2080 from EPD;
- Two rolls per student of 20 inch XPEL XR Black; and,
- Custom knives for all trainees from Robert Mann.
- Dean Mitchell heads up Tinters for a Cause, a not-for-profit organization through which tinters can pool resources and help those in the industry who have faced hardship. He says this is the single largest effort the group has seen since its inception.
"Randy Humphries alone has generated over $18k," Mitchell says. "We're going to do something and then Chris Brooks will be holding an event that'll generate a minimum of $12k plus auctions that will be held at the Celebration of Life," and other events.
Weekend Celebration
The celebration of life Mitchell mentions is open to all industry members and takes place this Saturday, January 20.
Titled "Sending Billy off BILLY STYLE!" the event will be held at the Arizona Center AKA Convention Center at 400 E. Van Buren, Phoenix, AZ 85004 on the 11th floor. It's open to all and starts at noon local time.
A GoFundMe for Billy has been created and is here.
There's also an Amazon wish list that can be found here.
WFCT 2024 in Honor of Billy Aiton
And finally, the 2024 International Window Film Conference and Tint-Off™ will be held in honor of Aiton.
"If God allows and I'm still beating the odds, I'll be there," he says, noting it's a "great motivation and honor that put me in tears. It was such a happy cry, and I couldn't explain to you why I was crying-I'm a tough guy!"
WFCT managing director Debra Levy says:
A couple of years ago at the end of a long and busy day at WFCT, I heard a voice behind me ask if I needed any help. Now, I usually won't ask for help, but if someone offers, I will definitely take them up on it. I was already overdue at my next meeting, so I called out "yes, I could use these things at our Window Film magazine booth," which was about half a hall away. Just as I said it, I turned to see Billy. You could tell he was tired and that the heat was having an effect on him. I immediately pulled the request back not wanting to tax him. I tried to call him off the job. "Never mind Billy, I will call someone down there," I said. He kept walking. "No really, Billy, thanks anyway, I can get it later," I tried again. He just waved me off and went and got what I needed. He made such a gracious sacrifice for me that I never will forget it.
That is how Billy Aiton is. He helps-he helps people and he helps the industry, he helps when people ask, he helps when his intuition tells him to and he helps when people need it, even if they don't know it yet. It is for all Billy is that WFCT is being dedicated to him this year.
