The Rochelle Area Community Foundation accepted a donation of $1,085 on Sept. 16 from multiple area organizations.

Back in June, Rochelle Municipal Utilities Superintendent of Electric Operations Blake Toliver and RMU Assistant Superintendent Jay Mulholland guest bartended at the ScaleHouse Lounge in Rochelle and chose to donate the proceeds of $542.76 to RACF.

DNA Communications, which is currently working with RMU to run fiber services to some Rochelle businesses and homes, offered to match the donation.

“Teresa Petry of ScaleHouse Lounge asked if we were interested and Jay and I said we’d do it,” Toliver said. “We thought RACF would be a good beneficiary because the money stays local. City staff make a large contribution to RACF through payroll deduction each year. We thought this was one more way to help people in our community.”

DNA Communications CFO Jason Akey said his company wanted to see the community have extra support and wanted to partner with RMU to do some good. RACF Executive Director Emily Anaya said the funds from the donation will be put into RACF’s largest endowment fund and invested before going on to benefit community organizations through grants.

“It’s great to see the support,” Anaya said. “It’s a creative way of fundraising. We truly appreciate people who want to do good right here in our community and keep it local. We’re truly grateful for all of it. And it’s fun to have new donors come in. We’ve never worked with DNA Communications before and meeting someone new is wonderful. We can’t thank you enough. Every donor dollar helps and makes a difference in the community.”