- Fundraising event to be held at the Holthus Convention Center for second year
Henderson News Reprint written by Kerri Pankratz
The 47th Annual Nebraska Mennonite Relief Sale will return to the Holthus Convention Center in York on March 27-28.
For the second year the annual fundraiser for Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) will all be indoors and under the same roof. If it decides to rain… or even snow, no problem. Come and enjoy the auction of quilts, furniture, tools, handmade items, gift baskets toys and more from the comfortable confines of the convention center. The event is free and also features a variety of food offerings along with the auctions.
There are a few changes to the main meals. The Friday night meal will now be Windsor Loin and BBQ Chicken and on Saturday, along with the traditional Verenika Meal at noon a Taco Bar will also be offered. The Windsor Loin/BBQ Chicken Meal includes your choice of BBQ chicken breast or a Windsor Loin served with au gratin potatoes, green beans, roll and drink. A Pork Sandwich Meal will be available both days.
The Friday Night Auction will take place from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. and all the same concessions and booths, along with a few new ones, will be available. This year, the sale will offer a “Quilts and More” booth. Participants may donate clean fabric (please indicate how many yards or dimensions each piece is), sewing notions, sewing/embroidery/quilting kids, patterns and unfinished projects. So if it’s time to clean out your sewing room, this is the perfect place to donate your unwanted items.
Other booths include: About MCC, New Year’s Cookies, Apple Prieshka, Market, Espresso Bar, Ten Thousand Villages, Homemade Ice Cream Bars, Pie by the Slice, Mementos, Golf Tournament, Pork Sandwiches, Drinks, and My Coins Count.
A pancake breakfast will once again be served on Saturday morning from 7:00 – 9:00 a.m. and booths and concessions open at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday.
The Main Auction will get underway at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday and will last until approximately 4:30 p.m., and kids get the chance to bid at the Kids’ Auction, which will take place from 11:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.
For the noon meal, sale goers have options. There will be the Verenike Meal, serving traditional Mennonite verenike (boiled or fried) served with cream gravy, ham, coleslaw, zwieback, and a drink. And also available will be a Taco Bar or a Pork Sandwich Meal served with chips and candy will also be available at the Pork Sandwich Booth.
The Verenike Meal is still in need of volunteers in the following areas: two money takers from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.; two serving line helpers from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.; one serving line helper from 12:00 to 1:15 p.m.; five additional table servers for both hours and help with setup/cleanup. The Verenike Meal is also in need of 38 dozen more zwieback, along with 16 pints of jelly. Table servers are responsible for clearing dishes, wiping serving trays, and replenishing condiments, cups, etc., as needed. The table server roles are crucial in making sure the meal runs smoothly, but are often the hardest spots to fill. If able to help in any of the above areas please sign up on the east bulletin board at Bethesda Mennonite Church or contact Evan or Kristen Friesen at 402.710.8586.
If planning to attend on Saturday, make sure to stick around up until the end for the Surplus Auction. All leftover food from breakfast and the noon meals, along with anything not sold at the booths, will be auctioned off to the highest bidders.
The Nebraska Mennonite Relief Sale is an annual fundraiser for Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), a Christian nonprofit charitable organization that works for relief, development, and peace in more than 40 countries.
The first sale in Nebraska took place in 1980 with the expectation of proceeds anywhere between $30,000 and $40,000. After everything was sold at that first sale the final tally revealed the staggering sum of $90,423.04 raised to support MCC World Relief.
Thanks to dedicated volunteers, the tradition has been kept alive through heavy rain, muddy parking lots, unexpected snowstorms, tornado warnings, issues with technology, and a global pandemic. Hope to see you there!
