60th Annual Illinois Mennonite Relief Sale this Friday and Saturday

[March 15, 2018] 

It’s time to celebrate as 2018 marks the 60th Anniversary of the Annual Illinois Mennonite Relief Sale, which will be held at Interstate Center, Bloomington, Illinois, on Friday evening, March 16, and all day March 17, 2018.

The 2018 theme, “60 Years of Christian Relief Ministry,” expresses the biblical basis for the Illinois Sale. We follow Jesus’ example as we contribute to the relief of human need and suffering by giving of ourselves and our resources.

Again this year preparation for this event involves hundreds of people from more than 30 Illinois churches. Special plans are now progressing for the barbecued chicken/fish fillet dinners beginning at 4:30 P.M. on Friday evening, March 16. Tickets are $10 for ½ chicken or 2 fish fillets and $8 for ¼ chicken or 1 fish fillet with all the trimmings. To top off the delicious cuisine will be all kinds of fresh homemade fruit pies. Serenading the Friday diners will be the King Family musicians hailing from Monticello, IL. This group has won two State of Illinois Championships in playing gospel and blue grass songs.

Our traditional all-you-can-eat pancake and delicious sausage breakfast will be available starting at 6:00 A.M. on Saturday, March 17. Tickets for adults are $8 and $4 for children. Many sale workers will be seasoning, grinding, and stuffing more than 2,000 pounds of whole-hog sausage for this breakfast as well as providing link and bulk sausage at the Butcher Shoppe.

Others may enjoy butterfly pork chops, barbecues, rib-eye steaks, pork burgers, and hot dogs on both Friday night and Saturday.

At this family fare are many specialty booths such as arts and crafts, needlework, kiddie korner, baby items, flowers, books, curly fries, popcorn, ice cream, and hundreds of dozens of fresh doughnuts.

One of the newest booths brags about its offerings of freshly brewed coffee, cafe latte, mochachino, cappuccino, chai latte, and hot chocolate.

Among star attractions of the sale is the Friday night auction starting at 6:30 P.M. with the auction of quilts beginning at 7:45 P.M. On Saturday the Grand Auction begins at 8:30 A.M. with quilts cried at 9:00 A.M. and again at 11:00 A.M. Special thanks is conveyed to volunteer auctioneers hailing from this area and several Amish gentlemen from Arthur, IL.

Of great interest each year are approximately 100 beautiful quilts, comforters, and wall hangings.

One masterpiece is a king-sized 60th Anniversary Relief Sale Commemorative quilt. The top was created, pieced, and appliqued by an artistic quilter in Texas. The Illinois Sale colors of royal blue and white are predominate. In the center of the quilt is our Illinois Sale logo featuring an outline of the State of Illinois representing Illinois as one of the 30 relief sales in America. Inside of it is a heart symbolizing love and compassion for the needy and the circle stands for our church world relief program in 56 countries. The center dove refers to Peace as quoted from Jesus saying, “My peace I give unto you.”

Another very special quilt offered at this year’s sale is donated by the 2018 Illinois Relief Sale Board. It is entitled “The Journey” representing 60 fruitful years of hard work and blessing that the Illinois Sale has been to so many people.

The quilt is colorfully pieced by hand in small squares referencing the many individual lives who dedicated their time of hundreds of hours to create this masterpiece. The beautiful butterflies represent those moments in life that are treasured and God moments that hold us and encourage us through our daily life, “The Journey.” This original pattern was created by an artistic quilter from Pennsylvania.

Still other auction items include beautiful Amish furniture constructed in Arthur, Illinois, such as a bedroom suite, rocking chair, and table. Lawn furniture and a handmade doll house will also be popular items along with tools, toys, vacation getaways, coins, theme baskets, paintings, and some Wild Wing favorites.

Enjoying a bustling business each year is the Pennsylvania Dutch Market with many kinds of pies: fresh strawberry, peach, apple, gooseberry, pecan, rhubarb, mincemeat, and the traditional shoo-fly pie. Other delicacies include hundreds of loaves of homemade bread, noodles, cakes, cookies, candies, jams & jellies, cheeses, and dried fruits.

Creating an interest in the unusual each year are the overseas craft items presented by the Ten Thousand Villages booth. Here sale-goers find baskets, jewelry, linens, brass, leather goods, and unique musical items.

Ten Thousand Villages is a special program of Mennonite Central Committee in Akron, PA that purchases crafts from developing world artisans and then makes them available for sale in United States and Canada. This program provides jobs and income for those in need as well as giving customers beautiful, unusual items from around the world.

Again this year eighty percent of the Relief Sale net proceeds is channeled to Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) in Akron, PA, for international world relief assistance in 56 countries of the world. This year MCC is celebrating 98 years (1920-2018) in a world-wide ministry of Anabaptist churches. This past year MCC had 1,118 workers serving “in the Name of Christ” by providing food, clothing, clean water, and medicine, as well as teachers, nurses, agriculturists, and social workers. Last year MCC’s income from America and Canada totaled $86,966,000.00.

Sixty years ago the first Illinois Mennonite Relief Sale was founded by John Roth of Morton, Illinois. It was held March 21, 1959, at the Congerville Barn with a net income of $5,000. Because this location became too crowded, the Sale Board relocated the sale in Peoria’s Exposition Gardens from 1966-1982. Again because of needing more space, the new home of the Relief Sale was the Peoria Civic Center from 1983 – 1997. Then starting in 1998, the location changed to the Bloomington Interstate Center due to the scheduling of a basketball tournament at the Civic Center.

Our Relief Sale Board sincerely thanks God for His guidance and blessings as our past 59 sales have netted $8,132,930.00 for world-wide relief. For the past thirty-two years, twenty percent of the net Illinois Sale income has been used locally to provide food for the needy in Central Illinois; this totals $1,332,827.00. The successes of the long journey of 60 years have definitely been because of God and to Him all glory is given.

For a special vacation day with the whole family, plan to attend the 60th Anniversary Illinois Relief Sale on March 16-17, 2018, at Interstate Center, Bloomington. Admission and parking are free.

For more information please contact Relief Sale Executive Secretary Mrs. Don (Ruthie) Roth at 309-266-7704 or Coordinator Jess Slager at 309-253-3838 or www.ilreliefsale.org

[Ruthie Roth, Relief Sale Executive Secretary]