2020 Final Report

Wow! It has been an incredible year for the VA Relief Sale!  Almost every year we have been able to set a record for what we donate to Mennonite Central Committee.  Incredibly, this year is no exception.  Last year, with a full relief sale and Christmas benefit concert, we were able to donate $300,000 to MCC.  This year, in reduced activities due to COVID, we are able to donate $336,621.23.  WOW!  Amazing!  People have been very generous.  Thank you for your continued generosity.  

MCC has had to reduce and cut some programs due to reduced funding, but they continue to reach those in our world that need assistance. Recently, they have responded to help families impacted by the torrential rains, flooding, and landslides caused by Hurricanes Eta and Iota.  They have been trying to meet the needs of the world’s most vulnerable during the COVID pandemic by scaling up their ongoing health, food and WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) work.  Check out MCC.org for more information and ways you can help.

As we look to the 2021 Virginia Mennonite Relief Sale, we have the fairgrounds reserved for October 1 & 2, 2021.  We are not certain what the sale will look like, but I am confident that people will continue to be generous toward the work of MCC as they help in the name of Christ. 

Read Full Report here!

2020 Preliminary Totals

The 2020 Virginia Mennonite Relief Sale was unlike any other. While a lot of favorites were  missing from the fairgrounds this year, what I missed the most was seeing everyone gather and enjoy  being together. MCC is celebrating 100 years of helping others around the world in the name of Christ  in 2020. MCC has had to make some cuts to programs and adapt how they help others due to Covid.  We also had to find ways to adapt. It was a success! We had 2 drive through meals. The Chicken BBQ  dinner raised a total of $18,082 Friday evening. Saturday lunch’s Fish Fry raised $13,291. Both were  delicious! The potato chips, pies, and other baked goods sold out quickly and raised $9624. I heard a lot  of positive comments about the online auction. The auction had 222 items that brought in $89,536.  There were 24 items that sold for $1000 or more- 15 quilts, 8 wood items and a monthly flower  arrangement. There were 2 items that sold for over $2000. The top quilt, “Starry Night” made and  donated by Mt. Pleasant Mennonite Church, sold for $2975. The next highest, which raised $2150, was  “Jacob’s Ladder”, pieced by Evie McPhee, quilted by Evie King, and donated by Lindale Mennonite  Women. If you would like to see what each item raised, you can still view items by following the online  auction link on vareliefsale.com. My Coins Count is still being counted, but the total as of now is  $11,648.78. The 5K run is still being calculated. Sharing our Surplus (SOS) is also being tabulated, but  has raised significant funds for refugee relief. An Augusta County mini relief sale raised a bit over $9000.  Harrisonburg Mennonite held a breakfast last week which raised $8000.  

Although we didn’t have as many volunteers, the ones we had worked hard and had fun. Thank  you! Also, thank you all for your generous bidding and donations. The preliminary total for the 2020  relief sale is right around $266,500. Last year’s preliminary total was around $380,000. We still have  time to meet or exceed that total. Churches can still organize their own event and if you would still like  to donate, it is not too late. You can send checks to  

VA Relief Sale 
601 Parkwood Dr  
Harrisonburg VA 22802 

Thank you,  
Dave Rush

My Coins Count

Shop

We all will miss perusing the tables of Ten Thousand Villages this year. Just because we can’t stand at their tables doesn’t mean we can’t support them! Click here to shop online! Ten Thousand Villages will be donating 10% of profits from the items sold the weekend of October 2nd to the Relief Sale!

Food

Available to buy at the Main Auction Building

• Thursday Noon-8pm: Baked Goods, Potato Chips, Plants
• Friday 8am-8pm: Baked Goods, Potato Chips, Plants & BBQ Chicken Dinner RSVP
• Saturday 8am-5pm: Baked Goods, Potato Chips & Fish Fry Dinner RSVP

     Drive Thru Dinners at the Fairgrounds

• Friday, Oct 2 5:00-7:00 PM: BBQ Chicken Meal.
  • Chicken half, Potato Salad, Roll, and a Drink.
    BBQ Chicken still available. Meals-Sold out
• Saturday, Oct 3 11:00-1:00:  Mississippi Fish Fry dinner.
  • Fried Fish, Hushpuppies, Coleslaw & Drink
  • You can also pre-order fresh fish by the pound!

Please RSVP!  We ask that you pre-order for both meals so that we know how many to prepare. To RSVP click on the photos.

Bakers

If you are donating baked goods, we ask that they be delivered Thursday, October 1^st 8am-Noon.

Pie pans can be picked up Curbside at Park View Federal Credit Union’s Harrisonburg & Dayton Branches and at Kitchenwares & More in the Dayton Market.

My Coins Count

5K

We are going VIRTUAL this year, but with so many events being canceled, we still want YOU to have the opportunity to run our 5k course! Join us virtually from anywhere in the world OR come on down to the Rockingham County Fairgrounds from 8:00am to 12:00pm on race day October 3rd to get in your 5k Race for Relief! Our course will be open and marked complete with start and finish line located on the back side of the fairgrounds! Please note that even though we are opening our course, you are not required to run it in order to participate. You can run from anywhere! There will be no official timing. Participants can report their 5k times on the RunSignup website under the results page on race day.

Register here for just $25 by September 22nd for a FREE T-Shirt! After September 22nd the price increases to $30 and you will not be guaranteed a T-Shirt. We will NOT be mailing T-Shirts, so plan to come to our T-Shirt pickup on Friday from 5:00PM-7:00PM or Saturday from 8:00AM-12:00PM. T-Shirt pick up will be at the pavilion located behind the auction building. Please plan to wear a mask when picking up your T-Shirt!

Fundraising & Awards: New for this year, we are adding optional participant fundraising! Since our race is going virtual and participants will be running at different locations, instead of giving awards for fastest time, we will be giving awards for the top 3 fundraisers! To become a fundraiser, select Become Fundraiser during race registration. If you do not wish to become a fundraiser, you can scroll to the bottom of the page and click continue. If you choose to become a fundraiser, you will be given a link in your confirmation email to send out to gather donations. Please consider becoming a fundraiser to do your part in supporting relief around the world!

Donate!

We ask that you donate generously. Mennonite Central Committee has had to cut some programs and downsize others due to some reduced income from thrift shops and relief sales not being able to function as they have. You can give by

1) Writing a check

Virginia Mennonite Relief Sale

601 Parkwood Dr

Harrisonburg, VA 22802

2) Donate on our website

S.O.S

The SOS Hundreds for Hundreds Walk for MCC Refugee Relief brought in over $15,000, a good start toward this year’s Relief Sale being able to meet or exceed last year’s total in spite of COVID! Our next SOS campaign Initiative is to encourage caring individuals to form “$1,000 Clubs” in which families, youth groups, church cell groups, co-workers or any group of friends join together to raise $1000 (or more!) between now and the October 3 Relief Sale date. Checks with SOS on the memo line should be made out to Virginia Mennonite Relief Sale and can be sent to 601 Parkwood Drive, Harrisonburg, VA 22802. This is an opportunity to show our compassion at a time when so many of our world neighbors are in unimaginably desperate need.