For three quarters of a century, Kraybill Mennonite School has been providing academic and spiritual enrichment to Lancaster County children.

The school, located in Mount Joy, invites the public to celebrate its milestone 75th anniversary at a fundraising banquet.

The event will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 29, at Melhorn Manor, 977 W. Main St., Mount Joy.

It will feature food, fellowship and fundraising, said school representative Rachelle Vriend.

"We plan to have various speakers from the Kraybill community sharing on God's faithfulness through the past 75 years, as well as speakers talking about the financial needs for Kraybill moving forward," she explained, adding that the evening will also feature an art auction. "We are holding this event to raise funds for Kraybill Mennonite School and to go towards improving our campus."

The school plays a special role in the community, Vriend said.

"Kraybill Mennonite is a Christ-centered school with caring teachers and a wonderful community," she shared. "Our core values (are) Christ-centered, Anabaptist perspective, educational excellence, community building, peacemaking and service."

Kraybill opened its doors to 31 students in grades one through 10 on Sept. 6, 1949. At that time, the students all came from Mennonite, Brethren in Christ and Old Order River Brethren congregations.

Much has changed through the decades at the school, including the composition of its student body and the structure of the school buildings. The original school met in a renovated church meetinghouse that lacked electricity. Over the years, multiple buildings have been added to the campus, and the school added prekindergarten and kindergarten while dropping grades nine and 10. Today, the school has an enrollment of over 230 students who represent 75-plus local churches and more than 20 denominations. The school serves students in prekindergarten through eighth grade.

Details of the banquet, including the menu - which will be served by Mountain Laurel Catering & Events - are still being finalized, but Vriend encourages people to reserve tickets early for an event that will reflect on the past while also focusing on the future.

"Kraybill would like to invite you to an evening of food and fellowship, as well as an invitation to be financially a part of raising a firm foundation for the Kraybill community to build upon," she said. "We look forward to having a wonderful evening together and partnering financially with the community to support this wonderful school."

The deadline to purchase banquet tickets is Saturday, March 8. For more information on the banquet or to purchase tickets, visit http://www.kraybillmennonite.org/banquet.