EMU Studends Head to MCC Sale for Food and Fun

Photo by David Troyer

Kristi Wenger, senior, sells grapes at last year's MCC Relief Sale. The Relief Sale is held every year at the Rockingham County Fairgrounds and raises money for MCC's worldwide relief efforts. Last year's sale raised over $240,000.

Since its inaugural year in 1967, the Virginia Mennonite Relief Sale has raised over $3.3 million for the worldwide relief program of Mennonite Central Committee. Last year alone, over $240 thousand was brought in from the auction and food sales combined. Like years before, this year's relief sale will be held at the Rockingham Co. fairgrounds on Friday and Saturday.

Profits are expected to grow even higher this year, and many EMU students are helping to achieve this goal. Through the community learning program, volunteering students are helping with children's activities, which includes blowing up balloons and face painting, selling merchandise for the Ten Thousand Villages booth, and contributing their time to cleanup. Additionally, CAs Victor Horton and Eojin Lee are taking their halls out to help make donuts.

But students are doing more than just help through EMU. For example, student Kristi Wenger attends the sale each year and sells grapes with her family.

Food, in fact, happens to be one of the biggest draws to relief sale. After the baked goods booths open at 4:00 on Friday selling cookies, candy, cakes, and more, the beef BBQ dinner starts at 4:30. Saturday morning breakfast features everything from pancakes to omelets to sausage gravy and biscuits, and lunch features the classic chicken BBQ. In fact, last years chicken BBQ sold over 3,000 chicken halves. For the casual eater, fresh pie, apple butter, funnel cakes, and pizza will be available at all times, and donuts and potato chips will be made before your eyes.

Another reason that the relief sale is such a big hit for EMU students is that many of the Mennonite students have been to different relief sales in their own home areas, and enjoy comparing Virginia's relief sale with their own. Last year 43 sales were held in the United States and Canada, each with its own flavor depending on the heritage of Mennonites in that area. But all the sales do have one thing in common: they all work and raise money for MCC, and the fundraising as a whole is quite substantial. For example, as a whole in 2003, over $4 million was raised.

For more scheduling information and directions, visit vareliefsale.com. Don't forget to head out to the relief sale and put your money toward a good cause!