| Note: this is an archive of the old 2004 Sale pages. Click Here for the newest pages. |
2003 Sale Report by Dorothy Goering
With perfect weather and 22,500 people out to enjoy food, fun and auctions, the 35th annual Kansas Mennonite Relief Sale generated $422,000 for Mennonite Central Committee. The donation to MCC increased to approximately $500,000 after the sale of the House against Hunger.
"This year's event was picture perfect and blessed from the start," said Sale Chairman Rod Chrystie. "With 80 degree weather and spring in the air, lots and lots of people come out for a good time together."
The upgraded facilities on the state fairgrounds made for smooth operations and eliminated some of the congestion experienced in former years.
While Sale Treasurer Clemon Kaufman reported total figures pretty much the same as last year's, the quilt auction total of $131,747 was up $26,000 from 2002. The high selling quilt was an off-white whole cloth quilt in the Hershey's Heirloom 1928 pattern quilted by women of Yoder Mennonite Church and friends, and purchased by Louis and Judith Buckendorf of Wichita.
Also sold at the quilt auction was the watercolor painting, "Will it or Won't it Rain?" by the late Randy Penner. After traveling through a number of Midwest relief sales, the painting was auctioned the last time at the 2003 Kansas sale. (Total donations inspired by the work amounted to $25,800.)
General auction proceeds were $44,300. Highest selling item was a 1954 John Deere 40 wide front tractor donated by Ted Pankratz, Hutchinson, and purchased by Leonard Loganbill of Moundridge.
"I never saw a tractor like that before, and so it interested me," said Loganbill. "But the real reason I bought it was because the money was going for MCC (Mennonite Central Committee)."
Other items bringing in substantial amounts were a playhouse, a grandfather clock and a collection of Barbie dolls.
Reflecting on the event Chairman Chrystie said, "We started out with empty buildings, brought together a wealth of willing workers and their talents, added hundreds of donated items, asked God to bless and multiply the efforts, and the results were amazing."