CHICAGO PULL UP PARK JAM

The World's Longest-Running Calisthenics Competition

THE WORD CALISTHENICS DERIVES FROM THE GREEK TERMS KALOS, MEANING BEAUTY, AND STENOS, MEANING STRENGTH. CALISTHENICS IS A FORM OF EXERCISE IN WHICH PEOPLE USE ONLY THE WEIGHT OF THEIR BODY AS RESISTANCE. BECAUSE OF ITS SIMPLICITY CALISTHENICS IS ACCESSIBLE TO A WIDER RANGE OF PEOPLE WHO DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO A GYM. ADDITIONALLY, WITH NO ADDED WEIGHTS, CALISTHENICS IS A SAFER LIFE-LONG ACTIVITY FOR PEOPLE FROM AGE 1 TO AGE 100.

O U R H I S T O R Y: T H I S I S W H E R E I T B E G A N

THERE IS NO ORGANIZATION THAT HAS CULTIVATED THE CALISTHENICS COMMUNITY LONGER THAN THE PULL UP PARK JAM. FOUNDED IN BROOKLYN, NEW YORK CITY IN 1998 BY RAY FUNN AND KEITH FIELDS, THE EVENT OPERATED AS A NON-PROFIT UNDER THE DIRECTION OF RODNEY "REDD" HARRISON. THE PULL UP PARK JAM GREW TO BE THE LARGEST CALISTHENICS COMPETITION IN THE WORLD, ATTRACTING 100 COMPETITORS PER YEAR FROM COUNTRIES AS FAR AWAY AS JAPAN AND UKRAINE. EVENTS AROUND THE GLOBE LAUNCHED TO EMULATE THE CAPTIVATING EVERGY OF THE PULL UP PARK JAM, WITH NOTABLE GLOBAL ICONS GETTING THEIR START IN CALISTHENICS THROUGH THE PULL UP PARK JAM.

O U R H I S T O R Y: T H I S I S W H E R E I T B E G A NTHERE IS NO ORGANIZATION THAT HAS CULTIVATED THE CALISTHENICS COMMUNITY LONGER THAN THE PULL UP PARK JAM. FOUNDED IN BROOKLYN, NEW YORK CITY IN 1998 BY RAY FUNN AND KEITH FIELDS, THE EVENT OPERATED AS A NON-PROFIT UNDER THE DIRECTION OF RODNEY "REDD" HARRISON. THE PULL UP PARK JAM GREW TO BE THE LARGEST CALISTHENICS COMPETITION IN THE WORLD, ATTRACTING 100 COMPETITORS PER YEAR FROM COUNTRIES AS FAR AWAY AS JAPAN AND UKRAINE. EVENTS AROUND THE GLOBE LAUNCHED TO EMULATE THE CAPTIVATING EVERGY OF THE PULL UP PARK JAM, WITH NOTABLE GLOBAL ICONS GETTING THEIR START IN CALISTHENICS THROUGH THE PULL UP PARK JAM.

THE PULL UP PARK JAM EXPANDED TO CHICAGO IN 2015 UNDER THE DIRECTION OF OMARI JINAKI. THE CHICAGO EVENT ALONE HAS BECOME THE LONGEST-RUNNING CALISTHENICS COMPETITION IN THE WORLD. THANKS TO COMPETITORS FROM NEW STATES AND NEW COUNTRIES, CHICAGO BECAME THE SECOND-LARGEST CALISTHENICS COMPETITION IN THE COUNTRY. IN RECENT YEARS, THE FOCUS IS NOT ON MAKING THE EVENT LARGER EACH YEAR, BUT ON CONTROLLED, PURPOSEFUL GROWTH -- WITH JUDGING OBJECTIVITY AS THE PRIORITY IN CHICAGO. YEARLY ENHANCEMENTS MAKE THIS THE MOST STRICT CALISTHENICS COMPETITION IN THE UNITED STATES, WHILE STAYING TRUE TO OUR ROOTS OF REACHING UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. THE CHICAGO EVENT MAKES ELITE CALISTHENICS ACCESSIBLE TO EVERY IN THE FREEDROM OF A PUBLIC PARK.

The Pull Up Park Jam is a 501(c)(3) non-profit (EIN: 30-0745794). For more than 20 years the event has run solely on the financial contribution of the competition host(s). There have been a small few financial contributors for which we are eternally and extremely grateful. Additionally, there are also a few notable in-kind donors that provide their time to store equipment, build and upgrade equipment, move and set-up equipment. Without this ongoing equipment storage, the Chicago Pull Up Park Jam, the only annual calisthenics competition in Chicago, would not exist at all. The entire Chicago calisthenics community owes this donor and all donors immense gratitude.

We welcome others to learn more about our operations and financial expenditures to determine if they'd like to contribute financially or in-kind to offset the ongoing event costs.

Every year, the annual costs to host the competition include:

• venue permit
• venue insurance & attendee personal injury insurance
• competition equipment and heavy-duty construction tools
• trucks and vans, gas, vehicle insurance, overnight parking (3 days)
• portable restrooms and sanitation
• pre-event overnight security
• electronics (outdoor generator, time clocks, extension cords, megaphone)
• competitor apparel & design revisions
• trophies, medals, & awards
• website maintenance
• videography & photography
• staff as needed (equipment movers and judges)