Strawberries and a serious amount of talent will be in the spotlight at the annual Strawberry Sundae Talent Show at Salem United Methodist Church. The event will be held beginning at 4 p.m. on Sunday, June 5, at the church, 140 N. Penn St., Manheim.

"We pick the strawberries the Saturday before, and we serve ice cream and shortcakes to go with them," said Doug Winters, coordinator of the event. Various toppings, drinks and pretzels will also be available.

The ice cream social will run from 4 to 6 p.m., followed by a talent show at 6:30 p.m., featuring members of the congregation. "We have people singing, people playing instruments, including a family who plays a variety of instruments," Winters stated. "The senior choir will sing old-time hymns." Winters will play the spoons in the talent show, and he and his son will perform a classic Abbott and Costello skit.

Admission to the event is by donation, and all proceeds will benefit a church mission trip. This year, a group will be going to Johnson County, Tennessee, to repair homes for people living in poverty. "We'll do work to keep the house warmer, safer and drier," Winters remarked. "We might repair roofs or install wheelchair ramps or paint the exterior." The trip will take place from Sunday, July 17, through Saturday, July 23. In addition to Winters, participants will include Mark Heller, Chris Trovinger, Brynn Trovinger, Jim Stouch, Gareth Wright, Cody Grissinger and Angela Byus.

The mission is conducted through Appalachia Service Project, which church members have been supporting for 40 years. This is the church's 38th talent show to raise funds for the trip. Winters has been coordinating the trip for more than 25 years.

Although adults attend the mission trip, it's a youth-oriented experience, he said. "We do activities in the evening as a group that are geared toward the youth," he noted, adding that the trip is a good way for younger members of the church to understand the value of service.

"Our mission trip is really helpful for people who are in need," Winters commented. "Being able to go down and help is a blessing for us. They are so grateful and thankful for what we do. Sometimes, they'll make a meal for us. They feed us and try to help us, too. We're going down there thinking we're helping them, but sometimes they end up helping us."