Annual Mennonite Auction nets over $116,000

With more donations and contributions still being tallied, the 39th annual Mennonite Country Auction and Relief Sale has already raised over $116,000 during the event on Saturday, Oct. 1.

The annual event is held at the Mennonite Church grounds outside of Ritzville and even with blustery fall weather, the event drew an above average crowd, according to Auction Chairman Michael Claassen.

Visitors to the annual event browsed vendor booths and enjoyed a variety of home cooked foods in the morning hours. Throughout the day, food vendors continued to cook up authentic meals and snacks, while demonstrations of making apple cider and apple butter were held at the grounds.

The most popular items proved to be the bulk meats, and Amish cheese from Ohio. Claassen said the line for those items began at 7:15 a.m., and remained crowded until around 10:30 a.m.

While people waited in line for food, they had the opportunity to listen to the Bethel Mountain Band out of Salem, Oregon. The blue grass and gospel group performed on stage until 10:30 a.m.

The live auction began at noon, and after the auction items had been sold, the live auction amount totaled an estimated $48,000.

The live auction is known for the high quality and elaborate quilts donated by local community members, organizations and Mennonite Church members from across the United States. The headquarters for the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) are located in Akron, Penn., and with a quilting room at the facility, many quilts are donated from Pennsylvania.

The top selling quilt of the afternoon was the hand quilted Argyle Bargello, donated by MCC Quilt Room in Ephrata, which sold for $3,500. The second highest selling quilt of the day, a Homespun Log Cabin quilt, went for $1,650.

Another popular quilt in the auction proved to be the Alabama Stars quilt, which sold for $1,500.

A traditional African dinner and one night of lodging for six people created a spirited round of bidding. After a back and forth battle for the item, the buyer purchased the package deal for $2,600.

The crowd favorite auction item of “Absolutely Nothing” raised $3,700. The individuals who win the bid simply donate money without receiving an item in return.

A new addition of a fellowship hall to the local Mennonite Church grounds this year, auction attendees enjoyed the opportunity to escape the wind and travel indoors to view all of the quilts for the live auction. The new building features a multipurpose room, an area for youth activities, a full size kitchen and handicapped bathrooms.

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 goes to help support others by supplying material aide or support services for struggling individuals.

The success of the auction is credited 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://www.mennomennonite.org/650-2/.