Girls Fight Back, a motivational women’s self-defense program, will hold a fund-raiser in Chicago dedicated to the memory of murdered Eastern student Shannon McNamara.

Sluggers, located at 3540 N. Clark St., is hosting the fund-raiser which will run from 8 p.m. to midnight Saturday. There will be a $25 door charge that will include an open bar with beer, wine and well drinks. A portion of the proceeds will go directly to Girls Fight Back, said Erin Weed, founder of Girls Fight Back.

Weed founded Girls Fight Back in memory of McNamara, a resident of Rolling Meadows, who was murdered on June 12 in her apartment while attending summer school at Eastern.

Weed, who was McNarama’s sorority sister, said McNamara touched the hearts of many people in her life.

“I live in New Jersey and after Shannon’s death I flew home and just thought about how much women live in fear in today’s society,” Weed said.

Mary Uremovic, Alpha Phi president, said McNamara was “really a fun, enthusiastic, down-to-earth person and was always someone you could talk to.”

Weed said the proceeds will help bring Girls Fight Back to the next level.

“The fund-raiser will help turn the class into a full-contact program which takes a lot of equipment that I am finding out will cost about $1,500,” Weed said.

Weed has been traveling throughout the nation to different universities with Girls Fight Back, teaching students certain self-defense maneuvers and important ways to protect themselves.

“Before Shannon’s death I was just like every other woman, I had put going to a self-defense class on my to-do list, but I never actually went to one,” Weed said.

McNamara’s death has brought awareness to Eastern students about self-defense and has created a new outlook for women who might otherwise disregard the need for it, she said.

Katie Lotz, events organizer, said students “don’t realize the importance of self-defense until something happens. When you raise awareness about something like this, it really hits home, especially when we think we’re so independent and invincible.”