Small Business Bingo raised $7,180 Nov. 3 for Shining Star, HOPE of Ogle County

A Small Business Bingo event held Nov. 3 at Flight Deck Bar Grill in Rochelle saw nearly 350 attendees and raised $7,180 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 $54,110. The Nov. 3 event was the first of a two-leg run in 2026 after two events last year and four events per year in the past.The Nov. 3 event broke Small Business Bingo records in terms of attendance and funds raised.“We set up for 350 attendees and nearly filled every seat,” Patrick said. “We raised more money than we ever have, including when we had our amount matched by a donor in the past. It’s amazing. That’s a lot of money f