“66 Years of Bringing Healing and Hope!”

Everyone is invited to the 66th Annual Illinois Mennonite Relief Sale on Saturday, March 16, 2024, at the Interstate Center, Bloomington, Illinois. The theme for this year’s family-friendly event is “66 Years of Bringing Healing and Hope!” Hundreds of volunteers from approximately 30 Illinois churches are busy preparing for another successful event. Everyone is offered all-you-can-eat pancakes and sausage beginning at 6am and continuing until 11am. Then delicious rib-eye steaks, pork chops, pork burgers, and hot dog sandwiches will be available along with curly fries, homemade donuts, and all kinds of fruit pies and ice cream.

Starting at 8:30am, the Grand Auction will be cried by both central Illinois auctioneers and Arthur Amish gentlemen. Over 100 beautiful handmade quilts will be offered for sale. Among them will be the mesmerizing Sale Board king-sized Bargello beauty in shades of teal, black, cream, and gray. Another captivating king masterpiece is a Bargello design with blended Batik style in lively prints of blues, reds, and golds.

Again this year there will be some beautiful Amish furniture cried at auction as well as tools, special coins, paintings, and much more. 

For the children a specialty will be the selling of a lovely Colonial Dollhouse. In addition a children’s auction is scheduled for mid-morning this year.

The Pennsylvania Dutch Market always has a bustling business with delicious fruit pies, cakes, cookies, candies, homemade noodles, and much more.

Again this year the Sale offers tons of fresh whole-hog sausage, both link and bulk, along with sausage patties, smoked sausage, pork barbecue, turkey, smoked beef strips, and much more.

Bring the whole family to also enjoy the Kiddie Korner, Baby Booth, Arts and Handicrafts, Popcorn and Cider, Flower Box, Water Tattoos, and other specialties.

Each year unique creations from overseas are sold in the Ten Thousand Villages display area. Here sale-goers will enjoy special items such as baskets, purses, linens, glassware, musical instruments, and all kinds of jewelry. Located in Akron, Pennsylvania, is the headquarters for the Villages shop. Items in this area are produced by underprivileged people in Third World countries who create items and sell them to make a living. Continually, this program purchases quality products from over 2,000 needy artisans in over 30 countries of the world.

Twenty percent of the net proceeds of the Annual Illinois Sale is given to local charities to provide food. Some examples are the Salvation Army in Peoria, Bloomington, and Pekin. Other recipients are Midwest Food Bank, Peoria Rescue Mission, and local food pantries.

Each year eighty percent of the net proceeds is sent to the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) in Akron, Pennsylvania, which began in 1920. This charity helps the needy in America and 45 countries of the world.

For a special day, come and enjoy free parking and free admission. For additional information please contact:  Mrs. Don (Ruthie) Roth at 309-266-7704 or Brian Veeder at 309-262-4296.