Mennonite Country Auction attracts crowd, big money

The 35th annual Mennonite Country Auction and Relief Sale has been deemed a success, after raising an estimated $120,000 on Saturday, Oct. 6.

Chairman of the auction, Howard Reimer, said that the live auction alone raised around $56,000. The amount places this year’s auction as the second highest amount ever raised during the 35-year history of the event.

Reimer said that between the excellent weather and about 400 cars being parked, it was a great day. During an average year at the auction, between 400-500 cars are parked.

The highlights of the live auction included the first ever auctioning of a puppy at the event, poppy seed rolls and a high-selling quilt. The seven-week old yellow Labrador Retriever puppy being shown to the audience sold for $450 and was only one of the two puppies auctioned that afternoon.

The poppy seed rolls sold various times during the auction and raised a significant amount of funds for the auction. Reimer explained that the rolls are not a local ethnic food and are German in origin. The three Kansas poppy seed rolls sold for a total of $2,725, with one of them being resold.

“It’s always a good money raiser, its ethnic food unique to Mennonites,” Reimer said. Reimer said it is especially popular with Mennonites in Kansas and that is where he developed an appreciation for the traditional treat.

About midway through the live auction, a handmade quilt titled “Lone Star” began to set records of its own when two determined bidders sent the price sky-high. Reimer said it was the nicest quilt that they had at the event and eventually sold to the lucky recipient for $5,500, a sale record.

The quilts donated to the event come from a variety of organizations and individuals. The United States headquarters for the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) is located in Akron, Penn., and Reimer explained that they have a quilting room there.

Reimer said a lot of quilts come from the east coast region, based around the MCC headquarters and the strong Amish population in the area.

All of the money raised at the event goes to the MCC for worldwide relief services. None of the funds raised remains at the local level and it all goes to help support others by supplying material aide or support services for struggling individuals.

The MCC organization helps provide individuals with food, water, clothing and shelter. Aside from providing these basic human needs, the MCC works alongside churches and communities to help establish peace.

Reimer explained that the MCC began in the early 1920s when the people of Russia were experiencing a famine. During that time, the majority of Mennonites located in the U.S. had migrated from Russia, Ukraine and other surrounding countries.

Mennonites in the U.S. sent everything they could, including tractors and plows, Reimer said. According to the MCC website, MCC’s work in the U.S. began in the 1930s and focused on peace, and finding alternatives for war.

The Mennonite Country Auction and Relief Sale is one of about 50 relief sales held throughout the U.S. and over the past 34 years has raised $1,947,000 to the MCC.

Reimer credits the success of the auction to the support and volunteers from the local community as well as other Mennonite churches and communities throughout the U.S. that have helped with the event, whether it be as volunteers, vendors or buyers.

To learn more about the auction, visit the website http:// mennonitecountryauction.mennonite.net.

To see results and photos from the auction, find the Mennonite Country Auction on Facebook.