Where will you spend your Friday evening and Saturday morning this week? A great option is the 66th annual Benefit Sale, to be held on the campus of Hillcrest Academy. It all begins at 4:30 p.m. Friday, when the silent auction opens and the turkey tenderloin meal is ready to be served. While there are no tickets to be purchased for the meal, donations will be welcomed and appreciated. So come early, eat (serving ends at 7:00 p.m.), view/bid on the silent auction items, and meet some friends.

Bidding ends at 6:30 p.m. promptly, but while you’re keeping an eye on the bids and ‘one-upping’ other guests, enjoy the blended voices of Auction Acapella, making their public debut. The ensemble consists of Joel Beachy, Steve Groenewold, Ed V. Miller, and Warren Yoder. Brian Herschberger accompanies with the guitar on select pieces.

The live auction is entertaining in and of itself, in large part due to the individual style of the auctioneers in the community who generously donate their skill to the Benefit. Sometimes bidding goes fast, sometimes not so fast, but it is fun to see what three pounds of hamburger, a chunk of Jarlsburg Swiss cheese, or a couple of dozen eggs from Farmers Hen House will bring. Quilts/comforters/wall hangings will be sold in two or three sections Friday night and Saturday morning. One wonders how much longer hand-quilted items will even be available, as many of the older avid quilters have passed. Beautiful machine-quilted items are also labors of love. Consider one for a gift!

Meals-in-homes are popular items on the live auction and are also sold both Friday evening and Saturday morning. It is a perfect way to enjoy an evening with friends you invite and have the meal made and served by someone else. It is a lot of fun!

Stop by the bake sale in the gymnasium on your way in and out. Wanda Gingerich and other local bakers bring the home-baked goods that will satisfy anyone’s sweet tooth. The concession stand will feature home-made pies and ice cream which is made and donated by John Yutzy of Yutz’s Handmade Ice Cream (quarts of ice cream will also be sold on the live auction).

Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. the auction continues, ending when all items are sold, which is usually about noon. Plan to eat breakfast before the auction, served from 7:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. in the school cafeteria. As with the Friday evening meal, breakfast is by donations, and will feature all-you-can-eat pancakes, sausage, eggs, and fruit.

We hope the Benefit is on your calendar. Bring your friends and family and begin your Christmas shopping at the Benefit. For more information call Larry Swartzendruber at 319-936-7563 or go to www.pvkalona.com/benefit-sale.

Pleasantview is a not-for-profit long-term care facility offering independent living, assisted living, skilled and traditional nursing, and memory care, located on the northwest corner of Kalona. Since 1958, Pleasantview has served the needs of residents. The Benefit Sale has generated funds for above-budget items since 1956.

Proceeds from this year’s event will go toward the refurbishment of the area in which residents are bathed and receive therapeutic whirlpool baths and other treatment. Potential additional funds will be used for the general welfare of all Pleasantview residents.

Thank you in advance for your support of this project!