A Small Business Bingo event held Tuesday, Dec. 2, at Flight Deck Bar & Grill in Rochelle saw nearly 300 attendees and raised $4,680 to be split between Shining Star Children’s Advocacy Center and HOPE of Ogle County, event organizer and AP Massage Therapy Owner Ashley Patrick said.

Patrick came up with the idea of bingo nights in the community, with prizes donated by local businesses to raise money for area nonprofits, in 2023. Attendance in past years has numbered in the hundreds with over a dozen nonprofits benefiting. Small Business Bingo has raised a total of $46,930. The Dec. 2 event was the last leg of a two-leg run in 2025 after four events per year in the past.

Tuesday’s bingo night also included a canned food drive to benefit the Rochelle Christian Food Pantry, with donors receiving raffle entrees. Bingo players braved winter conditions and a full parking lot, which Patrick said showed the community’s dedication to support the event “no matter what.”

“Overall things went really well,” Patrick said. ”It was nice to have so much volunteer help and a lot of new faces that came out to set up and do things during the event. It makes me feel good that more people want to get involved and see it continue. We had bad weather that wasn’t great for parking and we still had almost 300 people attend. We filled a lot of boxes with canned goods to donate to the Rochelle Christian Food Pantry.”

Raising a total of $10,390 over a two-event run in 2025 is a fact Patrick is proud of, especially with the events happening after a 10-month layoff. Events are held in the winters at the Chicagoland Skydiving Center hangar. The venue is the largest in town and is only available in the winters.

Patrick called raising nearly $47,000 over 10 events “crazy to think about.” It was her original hope that 50-60 people would attend the first event in 2023.

“It’s very humbling to imagine that we took something so simple and made it into this,” Patrick said. “I love that people love it and that they’ve shown how dedicated they are to it. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without everyone’s help to make it happen.”

Shining Star Children’s Advocacy Center works with families and children in Ogle and Lee counties who have been victims of child abuse. The work is done alongside law enforcement, prosecutors, DCFS and medical providers when there’s been allegations of severe physical or sexual abuse or kids that have experienced violent crimes, domestic violence or child deaths in the home.

As the area’s domestic violence support agency, HOPE of Ogle County provides free and confidential services including counseling, support groups, emergency shelter, legal advocacy and a 24/7 hotline.

The Rochelle Christian Food Pantry is open Tuesdays and Fridays from 12:30-3:30 p.m. and gives food to those in need and has seen record need in recent months.

“I think spreading awareness of nonprofits is one of my main goals with these events,” Patrick said. “Maybe people don’t understand what these nonprofits do or they’ll support it more if they have a better understanding of what they do. Or maybe someone that needs their services finds out about them. I think it’s very important. Their services are so needed.”

Patrick said she enjoys seeing bingo players that have become regulars over Small Business Bingo’s 10 events. Many regular players have become volunteers that help with the events, which saw a lot of new players in its latest run, she said.

With 8-10 months between each run of Small Business Bingo, Patrick has wondered in the past if crowds will return. The fact that they have has shown the community’s dedication, and people asking her throughout the year when the events will return “fuels the fire” to keep hosting them, she said.

As far as a 2026 return for Small Business Bingo, Patrick said she has a desire to bring it back if she’s able to secure sponsors for venue costs.

“The biggest challenge is venue sponsorship,” Patrick said. “If we can figure that out, I am willing to keep it going. If the people are going to show their dedication to keep showing up no matter what, I want to continue to provide it. I am really hoping to do it next year.”

What started as an idea with hopes to attract 50-60 bingo players has grown into a tradition that has raised nearly $47,000, filling Rochelle’s largest venue time and time again. But the model hasn’t changed.

“I feel like I’ve stayed true to my original goal of making it community-minded,” Patrick said. “I want people to feel the connection of coming together as businesses and community members for a good cause.

“It’s a small idea. Giving doesn’t have to be a big gesture. People can now see that their $15 to play makes a huge difference. I love that we’ve been able to take something simple and make it into such an impactful thing. Small things can make a big difference.”