Friday evening, April 12 through mid-afternoon Saturday, April 13, 2024, Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson.
Kansas Mennonite Relief Sale sponsored by Kansas Mennonite, Brethren in Christ and Amish congregations. Contact: Becky Blough, KMRS publicity 620-747-0558 (cell) or [email protected]
Friday, April 14
4 p.m. Booths & Activities open (until 8:30 PM)
4 p.m. Feeding the Multitude (serving until 8:00 PM)
5 p.m. Silent Auction Bidding Opens
6 p.m. General Auction opens
Saturday, April 15
7 a.m. Breakfast served in Cottonwood Court (until 9:00 AM)
8 a.m. 5K Run for Relief @ Rice Park
8 a.m. Booths & Activities open
8 a.m. Silent Auction (bidding open until 1:00 PM)
8:45 a.m. General Auction (goes until midafternoon)
8:45 a.m. Quilt Auction (goes until midafternoon)
10 a.m. Children’s Auction
11 a.m. Feeding the Multitude (goes until 1:00 p.m.)
2:30 p.m. Surplus Auction (time is approximate)
The Kansas State Fairground, Hutchinson, come alive with an array of sights, sounds and scents annually for the Kansas Mennonite Relief Sale each April.
What is the KMRS? KMRS is an event featuring five diverse auctions, children activities, local crafts, traditional Mennonite foods and numerous homemade goods. Kansas Mennonite, Brethren in Christ and Amish congregations join together—utilizing an all-volunteer staff–to organize, donate items and funds to make the sale possible.
This year marks the 56th KMRS scheduled Friday, April 12 starting at 4 p.m. and Saturday, April 13 through midday—a fundraiser for Mennonite Central Committee, a world-relief organization. In 2023, KMRS donated $610,000 to MCC—donation total is a combination of sale proceeds and other donations to KMRS according to Becky Blough, KMRS volunteer.
The five auctions are the Quilt Auction, featuring over 200 plus hand-crafted quilts and quilt related items (see quilt gallery at www.kansas.mccsale.org); the General Auction features a wide spectrum of items such as Modern Farm Equipment, antique tractors, vehicles, tools, antiques and handcrafted furniture and childrens’ toys and décor items; Silent Auction; a kid’s auction on Saturday at 10 a.m.; and a Surplus Auction.
Also being sold are fair trade coffee/chocolates, Kansas craft items, Christmas décor, 1,000 garden plants, souvenirs, baked foods, cheeses, hams, and sausage. The children’s activity building includes 9-hole mini golf, barrel train and various inflatables donated by Inflate-O-Fun, Inc., for all ages—all located inside the Pride of Kansas Building. Traditional Mennonite and American foods also served throughout the fairgrounds.
A 5K Run for Relief is scheduled Saturday morning at 8 a.m. at Rice Park (off the fairgrounds.) Entry forms are available at www.kansas.mccsale.org.
KMRS begins at 4 p.m. Friday with food service in all buildings including Feeding the Multitude, featuring Russian-German and Swiss Mennonite foods in the Cottonwood Court. Auction items open for viewing at 4 p.m. along with the sale of priced items. The Silent Auction opens bidding at 5 p.m. in Sunflower South. The sale continues on Saturday with breakfast service starting at 7 a.m., sale of priced items at 8 a.m. and the Silent Auction reopens bidding at 8 a.m. while the General and Quilt auctions start at 8:45 a.m.. The weekend concludes with the Surplus Auction in Sunflower South starting about 2:30 p.m..
Admission and parking are free. For more information visit the sale website at www.kansas.mccsale.org or like KMRS on Facebook at Kansas Mennonite Relief Sale; or contact Jim Robb, KMRS Chair, at 620-345-7142, [email protected]..
Over-night camping is available, for information and fees contact the fair office at 620-669-3600.
The Mennonites who lived in South Russia—current day Ukraine–in 1920 were in a desperate situation. They were on the verge of starving to death. They made a plea to the Mennonites in Canada and the United States for help.
This plea formed the world-relief organization known as Mennonite Central Committee. For over 100 years, MCC has expanded into 40 plus countries providing relief, development and peace projects including today’s Ukraine. A network of fundraisers called Relief Sales throughout North America seek to raise funds to support the work of MCC, said Becky Blough, KMRS volunteer.
