In mid-March, it all came to a stop. As with many other events, the global pandemic hindered the planning for the 55th annual Ohio Mennonite Relief Sale. Many relief sales around the nation and Canada were cancelled, leaving Mennonite Central Committee short on funding. With this in mind, the Ohio sale planning committee has committed to an online auction only, scheduled for Sept. 26 to Oct. 3.

Buy It Now

A hit at last year’s event, Buy It Now is similar to the eBay sales method of the same name. The auction committees have selected a small number of quilts and other items to be available before the auction at a fixed price.

Buy It Now items will be available to purchase Sept. 14 through Sept. 24. Any items not sold via Buy It Now will be placed in the online auction for bidding. See ohiomccreliefsale.org to preview.

Online auction

Auction items will be available for bidding on Sept. 26. Donated items include more than 100 authentic Amish and Mennonite quilts and wall hangings, overnight stays at Carlisle Inn and Miller Manor, certificates for meals, a refrigerator and other appliances, a landscaping package, a garage door, and a variety of hand tools.

Donations to the Online Auction will be accepted until Sept. 22 and must be delivered to the Sprunger Building in Kidron on Sept. 24. Please contact Sandy Miller at 330-464-8867 for details.

Bidding will end at midnight on Oct. 3. Small auction items will be shipped at the buyer’s cost; however, large furniture items must be picked up by the next week.

Bidders can be confident that their payment information will stay safe. Through supervising auctioneer Steve Chupp, the sale uses a secure bidding site, Proxybid, for all online sales. Bidders can register to bid at ohiomccreliefsale.org.

Quilts can be previewed online. Wood, tool and miscellaneous items can be previewed live on Sept. 25 in Kidron.

Socially distanced live events

With COVID-19 in mind, a downsized Kickoff Preview Event is scheduled for Sept. 25 and 26 at the Sprunger Building on the grounds of the Kidron Auction, 4885 Kidron Road, Kidron, Ohio.

On Friday, Sept. 25, at 6:30 p.m. there will be an outdoor socially distanced concert featuring two bands, Honeytown and Girl Named Tom. Concert-goers are asked to bring their own lawn chairs and space themselves according to social distancing guidelines.

On Saturday, Sept. 26, a carry-out chicken barbecue meal will be available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The food committee will be taking chicken dinner orders until Sept. 16. Dinners may be pre-ordered online at https://bit.ly/2020ReliefSaleBBQ. A limited number of chicken dinners will be on hand for  walk-in purchases. Ice cream and pie will also be available for carryout (no pre-order required).

On Sept. 26, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. all auction items will be available to preview in the Sprunger Building. Visitors will be asked to wear a mask and socially distance.

Wrapping up the weekend’s events is a special Relief Sale online concert by John Schmid on Sept. 27 at 4 p.m. Visit John’s Facebook page to listen to his concert online: https://www.facebook.com/commongroundmin.

My Coins Count

The “My Coins Count” collection will go on with several new twists. As in previous years, My Coins Count is specially designated for Mennonite Central Committee’s water projects. However, the Sale Committee asks that churches and individuals count their own change and use the Relief Sale’s PayPal account to send their money (ohiomccreliefsale.org/donate.)

Virtual 5K/1K Run for Relief

The annual Run for Relief will be a virtual race. Participants will be asked to run or walk their own course and send photos as proof of completion. Registration and instructions for the race are available at http://bit.ly/2020RunforRelief.

Ohio Relief Sale Online Store

Coming after the 2020 Online Relief Sale, a brand-new e-commerce store will be set up to sell small items year round. Items slated for the store include fabrics, books, and project UFO’s (unfinished objects) from the popular Quilter’s Corner. Also included will be crafty and artsy items from Artisan’s Marketplace. Most items will be priced at $25 and under. Watch ohiomccreliefsale.org or join the email list for updates later in October.

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.