WICKER PARK — The first rule of fight club in the fictional book by Chuck Palahniuk is not talking about it, which was what ultimately got a neighborhood fitness meetup shut down by the city, its organizer said.
Last week, personal trainer DeAnna Bellamy talked to DNAinfo Chicago about how she and "an eclectic group of fighters, martial artists, personal trainers and entrepreneurs" had been participating in weekly "spar jams" since the beginning of summer at Wicker Park, 1425 N. Damen Ave.
Bellamy, who organizes the grassroots club but is not a boxing coach, said she had gotten as far as "wrapping up a new guy's hand" Friday before a park supervisor told her that the group would need a permit to continue.
Now, she hopes to make the free club legit.
"I was not aware a permit was needed because it is a public place, but I was told the only reason you need a permit is if you advertise it," Bellamy said, adding, "It's not a secret fight club; it is an art of sparring kind of thing."
On Monday, Bellamy launched a 10-day Indiegogo campaign to raise $900 to pay for the permit, which she said would be for six, three-hour sessions from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Fridays from Aug. 22 to Sept. 26.
Bellamy said she "sat in [the park supervisor's] office and talked about the permit process" on Friday before going back outside and moving the group to a new and "undisclosed" location where they were able to spar from 5 to 7 p.m.
Bellamy, who requires that participants sign a waiver, said people in the group, some of whom had traveled a couple hours via public transportation, were "definitely disappointed."
Jessica Maxey-Faulkner, a spokeswoman for the Chicago Park District, said on Monday that a permit would be needed to run any kind of organized event in the park, even if it is free.
Maxey-Faulkner could not immediately confirm the hourly cost of the permit, buy Bellamy said would be $50 per hour.
Later Monday, Maxey-Faulkner said that "$50 an hour is the price for the particular field [in Wicker Park] that the group was interested in."
"We have a number of groups that work out together in parks, most of whom charge a fee for their members. Those that do not charge a fee for membership may seek a partnership agreement with the Chicago Park District. Here is general information on our athletic permits and its requirements," Maxey -Faulkner wrote.
In addition to the field rental, there is an annual fee of $398 to offer athletic training in the park and a $35 application fee, according to the Park District event permit application.
Bellamy said she hopes the Indiegogo campaign will bring the spar sessions back to Wicker Park, but if she can't get the money together, she said it'll be more of a moving fight club.
"I am still getting emails from people interested in joining and will keep moving the spar jam," she said.
For more information on the campaign, visit indiegogo.com/projects/spar-jam.
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