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An early summer mix of pleasant temperatures and rainfall in the Shenandoah Valley, followed by nearly two months of dry conditions, transformed into warm fall weather just in time for the 55th annual Virginia Mennonite Relief Sale Friday night and Saturday, Oct. 1-2, at the Rockingham County Fairgrounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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This year\u2019s sale raised a preliminary figure of $355,000 for the worldwide relief, service and peacebuilding program of the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). Despite certain restrictions in fund-raising brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, last year\u2019s effort raised $333,931; final actual proceeds in 2019 totaled $381,033.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOnce all expense reports are finalized and additional funds come in, our total receipts will likely exceed the total funds raised this weekend,\u201d said Dave Rush of Harrisonburg. \u201cWe had a lot of activity and received positive comments about the online bidding and video available this year.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rush noted that there were winning bidders on line from 9 different states, adding: \u201cOne man won top bid on a wood crafted item while in a plane flying from Maine to the West Coast.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Activities began Friday evening with a barbecued pork barbeque dinner, special music by a variety of local groups and genres and the start of the live and silent auction that resumed Saturday morning and ran through early afternoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The annual auction of handmade quilts, wall hangings, knotted comforters, artwork and wooden handcrafted items accounted for $138,988 of the total funds raised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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An oak side table with drawer and drawer made and donated by Norman and Grace Lambert of North Carolina brought in $5,700. Other high bid items included: an anonymously-donated copper applebutter kettle that went for $4,500; a 90\u201d x 90\u201d feed sack quilt made and donated by Mary Guntz of Vermont went for $4,100; a seven-drawer lingerie chest of maple and walnut made and donated by Dwight and Trella Kauffman sold for $3,200; a 101\u201d x 117\u201d Mariner\u2019s Compass quilt donated by Friends of the Relief Sale went for $3,100, a 102\u201d x 92\u201d Park Plaza quilt by Evie King and Evie McPhee brought $3,000, and a 90\u201d x 90\u201d Hunter\u2019s Star quilt pieced and machine-quilted by Lorraine Mooney and donated by Williamsburg Mennonite Church went for $3,000. There were 37 items that brought $1,000 or more; 23 of these were quilts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Total funds raised from the annual \u201cOur Coins Count\u201d project were $16,052, with more funds expected to come in from area congregations, businesses and other groups. Coins and currency were collected in large water jugs for weeks, then the containers were brought to the sale for sorting and tabulating done by employees of Park View Federal Credit Union. The funds will be evenly divided between MCC and Virginia Mennonite Missions (VMM) to purchase classroom supplies for church-related schools in rural Zambia (MCC) and family discipleship ministries in Latino congregations and scripture-based music ministries through Kids\u2019 Klub programs in the U.S. (VMM). \u200b<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This year\u2019s \u201cspecial projects\u201d offering raised $3,300 to be divided equally between two area organizations \u2013 a WARM cold weather shelter in Waynesboro, Va., for homeless persons or at imminent risk of homelessness and to assist \u201cPeople Helping People,\u201d an ecumenical financial aid program supported by local faith communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Annually since 2017, a relief sale committee has promoted additional giving through a \u201cS.O.S (Sharing Our Surplus)\u201d campaign spearheaded by local pastor, counselor and community advocate Harvey Yoder. A special table was again staffed by Everence financial volunteers during the sale for people to donate money to MCC\u2019s work with refugees around the world. Yoder reported that approximately $40,000 came in for this initiative this year. A total of more than $150,000 has been raised through S.O.S over the past five years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A return of the popular donuts caused relief sale patrons of all ages to have glazed looks on their faces as Strite\u2019s Donuts of Harrisonburg brought their donut-making operation on site and sold some 6,000 of their confectionary delights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Persons also formed long lines to purchase quantities of Brunswick stew, with 165 gallons made in vats on the fairground premises by members of Springdale Mennonite Church in Augusta County.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other homemade food items on display around the fairgrounds included baked goods, 1,200 barbecued chicken halves, cider, fresh produce, kettle-cooked potato chips and international fare including Indian food and lamb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dave Rush, in his 12th<\/sup> year as relief sale chair, is enthused over this year\u2019s fund-raising effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt was good to be back (at the relief sale),\u201d Rush said. \u201cWe had beautiful weather and fun together. A huge \u2018thank you\u2019 to the many volunteers who gave their time and energy to make this event possible. Also, many thanks to the donors and buyers, and for a cooperative spirit expressed by those who wore masks indoors,\u201d he added. \u201cEvery year it brings me much joy to see us all work together to raise money for MCC in the name of Christ.\u201d impressed with the way so many people come together in a spirit of unity, both the volunteer effort and the generous giving to the work of MCC,\u201d Rush said. \u201cThrough this event, we work together to help others around the world whom Jesus calls us to serve.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n MCC, based in Akron, Pa., is a worldwide ministry of Anabaptist churches that share God\u2019s love and compassion with people at home and around the world to ease oppression, poverty and conflict. They lead natural disaster relief efforts, community development and peace work in more than 50 countries. The first Virginia Relief Sale took place Sept. 30, 1967, on the farm of Paul Wenger in Augusta County. Net proceeds of $6,393 were sent to MCC. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"![\"\"](\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2021\/10\/06132427\/2013VAReliefSale-donuts-717x1024.jpg\")