Photo Flash: The Chicago League of Lady Arms Wrestlers Return Valentine's Day Weekend for CLLAW XXVI: Battle of the CLLAWentines

Move over cupid! The Chicago League of Lady Arm Wrestlers (CLLAW) will have your hearts pumping this Valentine's Day Weekend at CLLAW XXVI: Battle of the CLLAWentines on Saturday, February 11, 2017 at Logan Square Auditorium, 2539 N. Kedzie Ave. in Chicago. CLLAW's 26th benefit match will feature Chicago's biggest, baddest lady-identified arm wrestlers, musical entertainment by the Jacob Horn Trio and a cash bar. Doors open at 9 pm with the first match beginning at 9:30 pm. Tickets, priced at $15, are available in advance at www.cllaw.org or at the door (the ladies will gladly take cash or credit at the door).

All proceeds from CLLAW XXVI will benefit Sideshow Theatre Company and Chicago Women's Health Center.

The Main Event

CLLAW vets including Unbreakable Killer Schmidt, Whami Taylor, Aunt Nance... special guests from the Windy City Rollers Kidney Lauper, Suga Smaxx, Mary Poppin Caps and Vigil Annie... and the returning CLLAW champ... Cursula! Their names echo through the ages. They come from all corners of Chicago, united only by One Dream: to elbow their way through the competition and wrestle their way to the top. With CLLAW's Mistress of Ceremonialisms Harry Scaray and a couple of questionable referees to control them, the line-up of not-so-lady-like ladies in outrageous costumes volunteer their time to vie for that most cherished prize - the bedazzled CLLAW gloves. Who will leverage their way up the bracket? Or bribe their way to the top? All these questions and more will be answered, and all of Chicago is invited to bear witness.

CLLAWdience Participation and Prizes

Not content to leave the fun in the arms of its competitors, CLLAW XXVI gets everyone in on the action. Audience members have the opportunity to purchase CLLAWBUX, the official currency of CLLAW, throughout the night. With their CLLAWBUX, onlookers can bet on their favorite wrestlers to prevail, and maybe slip a few to the referees to even the score. All CLLAWBUX purchased also go towards fantastic raffle prizes. Half-priced CLLAWBUX are available in advance. Prizes for CLLAW XXVI are graciously provided by Freehand Chicago, Chicago Women's Health Center, Windy City Rollers, Chopping Block, Eataly and others.

All for a good CLLAWSE

A portion of CLAW XXVI proceeds will benefit Chicago Women's Health Center. CWHC's mission is to facilitate the empowerment of women and trans people by providing access to health care and health education in a respectful environment where people pay what they can afford. For additional information, visit chicagowomenshealthcenter.org.

Proceeds also benefit CLLAW's creator and producer, Sideshow Theatre Company. Since its first match in 2009, Sideshow's CLLAW events have helped fundraise for numerous Chicago based non-profits including {she crew}, The Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CAASE), Barrel of Monkeys, C4 - Community Counseling Centers of Chicago, Girls Rock! Chicago, Marwen, Rock for Kids, About Face Youth Theater, 826CHI, CAPE (Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education), Ayodele Drum and Dance, The Chicago Human Rhythm Project and others.

About Chicago CLLAW and CLAW USA

CLLAW is a member of CLAW USA, the national Collective of Lady Arm Wrestlers. It is the mission of CLAW USA to empower women and strengthen local communities through theatre, arm wrestling, and philanthropy. CLLAW includes a compendium of female-identified participants and seeks to create a safe space for all participants and audience. We seek to mirror the diversity of our greater society and welcome participation from people of diverse identities by age, race, class, ability and gender definition.

About Sideshow Theatre Company:

It is the mission of Sideshow Theatre Company to mine The Collective Unconscious of the world we live in with limitless curiosity, drawing inspiration from the familiar stories, memories and images we all share to spark new conversation and bring our audiences together as adventurers in a communal experience of exploration.

From its first production, 2008's Dante Dies!! (and then things get weird) to its Jeff Award-winning productions of Roland Schimmelpfennig's Idomeneus (named one of the best plays of 2012 by Time Out Chicago and the Chicago Sun-Times) and Elizabeth Meriwether's runaway robotic hit Heddatron at Steppenwolf Theatre, to the recent re-mount of its smash hit Stupid F##king Bird, Sideshow has consistently produced engaging, transcendent works across Chicago. Sideshow continues its multi-year residency at Victory Gardens in the historic Biograph Theater in the 2016/17 season.

For additional information on Sideshow Theatre Company, visit www.sideshowtheatre.org.