54th Annual Ohio Mennonite Relief Sale returns to the Wayne County Fairgrounds
Wooster, Ohio – July 12, 2019. For 54 years, the Mennonite, Brethren, Apostolic and Amish churches of northeastern Ohio have come together to put together a festive event to raise funds for the work of Mennonite Central Committee. The 2019 Ohio Mennonite Relief Sale and Auction is slated for August 2 & 3 at the spacious Wayne County Fairgrounds in Wooster, Ohio.
Friday Evening Open House
Activities begin at 4pm on August 2 when the food stands open. There’s no excuse to go hungry at the Ohio Relief Sale with the scrumptious assortment of festival foods. There’s something for everyone, from the BBQ Chicken dinners and homemade ice cream to gluten-free fresh fruits or fresh squeezed lemonade. The most unique dish served may be the popular Laotian Egg Rolls, a tradition started by a local Laotian refugee family who relocated to the United States with the help of Mennonite Central Committee.
A live music and storytelling program will begin at 5pm. Storytellers include Marcus Yoder (Amish and Mennonite Heritage Center) plus Mennonite Central Committee workers Dan and Jeannie Jantzi. Music groups will be Sweet Spirit from Wooster, Swiss Shuffle from Kidron and the Congolese Music Group from Akron. The program ends at approximately 8pm.
Silent Auction
A Silent Auction will take place on Friday evening starting at 4pm. Guests will find anything from theme baskets to gift certificates for local hotels and stores. Some Silent Auction items will close on Friday evening, gift certificates will continue through Saturday afternoon.
Online Bidding & “Buy It Now” Added to the Quilt Auction
Hundreds of colorful, expertly pieced and hand-quilted Amish and Mennonite Quilts are made by church sewing circles, individuals or by volunteers at Kidron’s thrift store, MCC Connections. Made with loving care, these quilts and cozy comforters are made with one idea in mind: to raise funds to help those in need. Quilts can be previewed either at ohiomccreliefsale.org or at 4pm on Friday evening. The Quilt Auction begins promptly at 9:30am on Saturday.
New for 2019 are two remote options to purchase quilts. Similar to Ebay’s “Buy It Now,” from July 22 through August 1, a select number of quilts may be purchased for a posted price before the auction. Any listed quilt not purchased before the auction will be added to the live auction on August 3. Online bidding will be available during the live quilt auction so remote bidders can take part. Shipping will be paid by remote bidders. Please visit ohiomccreliefsale.org in July for details or to preview quilts.
The “Furniture, Tools, Vans and much more” Auction
Although called the Wood and Tool Auction, guests will find a wide assortment of donated auction items, ranging from fine hardwood and outdoor furniture made by Amish and Mennonite craftsmen, to kitchen appliances and hand tools.
The 2019 Special Features of this auction are a Mini Van (Make & Model TBD), five one-night stays at the any Carlisle Inn, a Dutcher Door Garage Door, a blacktop project from Melway Paving (details TBD) and a certificate from Home Appliance worth $4,000 towards any appliance purchase. The Wood and Tool Auction begins at 9am on Saturday morning. Items can be previewed at ohiomccreliefsale.org or at 4pm on Friday evening. For questions on Special Features, please contact Paul Bontrager at 330-957-9925.
Learn to bid or buy it priced
While auctions are a way of life among Amish and Mennonites, it can be intimidating for auction “rookies” who have never been to an auction. No worries – help is there to guide you. Guests must first register for a buyer’s number in order to bid and are encouraged to ask questions of helpful auction volunteers if they are unsure how to proceed.
For those who prefer not to bid, several stands will have items priced to sell. Quilter’s Corner is a crafter’s dream with an assortment of donated fabrics, pillowcases, sewing patterns and vintage fabrics ready to turn into a project. The Needlework and Crafts stand features finished projects ranging from comforters and afghans to woven rugs and knitted hats. Take home a houseplant or perennial for your home from our Plant Stand.
Festival Foods
There’s no excuse to go hungry at the Ohio Relief Sale with the scrumptious assortment of festival foods. There’s something for everyone, from the BBQ Chicken dinners and homemade ice cream to gluten-free fresh fruits or fresh squeezed lemonade. The most unique dish served may be the popular Laotian Egg Rolls, a tradition started by a local Laotian refugee family who relocated to the United States with the help of Mennonite Central Committee. All food stands open at 4pm on Friday evening and 8am on Saturday.
A “Fuel-Up-for-Relief” breakfast begins at 7am on Saturday morning featuring pancakes, sausage, sausage gravy, biscuits and scrambled eggs.
A Bake Sale starts on Friday evening at 4pm with delicious home baked items as well as items donated by local bakeries. Look for the “Swiss Pantry” signs, and be sure to get there early for Lavonne’s Rolls or Lovina’s Ground Cherry Pies. Buy them early and come back to pick them up later.
For the Kids and Young at Heart
Plenty of Children’s games and activities are planned, featuring the “barrel” Train and inflatables. The popular Children’s Auction returns in 2019 with toys for kids to bid on. The Children’s Auction begins at 10:30am.
A 1K Fun Run/Walk for Relief takes place on Saturday morning at 8am while the timed 5K run begins at 8:45am. The route is entirely contained on the auction grounds. Showers are available and the run is open to all ages. Registration is available at ohiomccreliefsale.org.
A Cornhole Tournament, as well as a Volleyball Tournament, begin at 6pm on Friday Night.
Keep the Change!
Specially designated to support MCC’s Clean Water Project is the spare change collection. Guests can save spare change (or checks and $100 bills) and drop them off at the Relief Sale collection site. Think it’s a drop in the bucket? Nearly $143,000 was raised in 2018 for the Relief Sale’s My Coins Count project!
Where does the money go?
Staffed solely by volunteers, the Relief Sale’s proceeds go to Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). 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 suffering people. MCC comes to the aid of suffering people all over the world, administering disaster relief, drilling water wells, education and building relationships in war-torn areas.
Learn More
Auction items can be previewed online at www.OhioMccReliefSale.org. Information regarding entry fees for specific events can also be found on the site. 2018 Financial Reports are also available on the website.
Admission and parking are free. ADA parking and wheelchairs are available. The event is held rain or shine. For more information, contact Board Chairperson, Sandy Miller at 330-464-8867.