A weekend of wonderful food and a double-auction featuring handmade quilts, arts, and crafts are just a few of the things to look forward at the 38th annual Nebraska MCC Relief Sale at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds in Aurora. All proceeds from the sale being held on Friday, March 31, and Saturday, April 1, go to Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) a relief, service, humanitarian, and peace agency.
The double auction features handmade quilts (most made locally and some coming from Pennsylvania), original artwork in various mediums, handcrafted wood items as well as some agriculture items, and processed beef and pork. A wide range of smaller craft items, themed gift baskets, and sports tickets will also be auctioned. There are also a wide variety of cash-and-carry items for sale. Merchandise includes small crafts, kids’ toys and games, embroidered tea towels, and a wide variety of home baked goods as well as cheeses, meats, dried fruit, and nuts.
All buildings open at 4:00 p.m. on Friday night for viewing of the auction items and purchase 
of priced goods. Friday musical entertainment begins at 6:00 p.m. and an auction at 7:00 p.m. in separate buildings. All priced items are also available for sale on Friday beginning at 4 p.m.–8:30 p.m. On Saturday morning the auctions begin at 8:30 and 9:00 a.m. continuing all day until all donated items and food are sold. A more specific schedule for the auction may be found on the website.
The meal and snack options for the weekend are plentiful including many ethnic Mennonite meals and snack options. Friday night meal options include a soup supper or BBQ pork sandwich meal which is also available all day on Saturday. Meal options on Saturday begin with the all-you-care-to-eat breakfast served from 6:30-9:00 a.m. In addition to the BBQ pork sandwich meal, Saturday noon options include the popular Windsor loins or BBQ chicken dinner and the ethnic option of verenika and ham with all trimmings. Many snack items are available throughout the day as well: ice cream sundaes, baked goods and candy, pizza, hotdogs, nachos, popcorn, and pop to name a few. Delicious ethnic Mennonite snacks to purchase both Friday night and Saturday include New Year’s cookies, Apple Prieshka, and Kleine Zweiback.Â
There is plenty of parking at the fairgrounds located at 8th and A Streets in Aurora. Both parking and admission to the event are free.
The purpose of the Nebraska MCC Relief Sale – as well as the other 43 MCC sales across the United States and Canada – is to raise funds to meet human need across the world. MCC is the relief, service, and development agency of North American Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches. MCC seeks to demonstrate God’s love through committed women and men who work among people suffering from poverty, conflict, oppression, and natural disaster. Volunteers work to remove barriers that separate people from each other in a ministry of reconciliation.
Photos of items that will be for sale as well as additional information about the sale may be found at www.nebraskamccsale.org or on Facebook page: @mccsalenebraska. Questions may be emailed to sale chair Brent Buller at brbuller@mainstaycomm.net or to publicity chair Kathryn Goertzen at kgoertzen@mainstaycomm.net.
Last Saturday morning over 4,300 verenika were made by a crew of more than 40 people at the Bethesda Mennonite Church in Henderson. The verenika along with zweibach, cole slaw and plums mos will be served at the 2017 Nebraska MCC Sale noon meal this Saturday at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds in Aurora.
