Conestoga Christian School (CCS) will hold its 51st annual chicken barbecue and auction on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 18 and 19. The funds raised at the event will benefit the overall financial operation of the school, which offers classes for students in preschool through 12th grade.

The event will begin with the barbecue dinner on Oct. 18. Dinners may be picked up in the school's front parking lot from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dinners can be eaten on-site from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the school gymnasium.

"We added a dine-in component this year during dinner time," noted Michelle Parris, CCS admissions director, explaining that the eat-in option was not offered during the pandemic. "We are keeping the drive-through part because that is convenient for families to pull in, pick up dinner and take it home."

Also on Oct. 18, a gift certificate store will be open outside the school until 4 p.m.; the store will then move into the school gymnasium.

Additionally, homemade apple dumplings will be available for purchase. Visitors may purchase a pan of eight dumplings for a fee.

Following the barbecue, there will be an alumni celebration behind the school. "We have great alumni events planned," said Parris. "The evening will kick off with a student powderpuff football championship game, followed by an alumni soccer game."

A live auction will be held on Oct. 19 from 9 a.m. until the last item is sold. The auction will feature a selection of items that have been popular at previous auctions, experiences, artwork and quilts, as well as jellies and jams and homemade yogurt donated each year by CCS families.

"Local businesses are so good to us," Parris stated. "Trish from Flourish Flowers donated a pass to her Christmas garden party. The apples (for the apple dumplings) were donated to us by Weaver's Orchard."

"A lot of our parents are very talented," she added, noting that parents volunteer throughout the two-day event. "One of our parents is going to do a pour paint class. We also have a family that has a lake house in Tennessee, and they are donating time to use that lake house."

In addition, each class at the school has designed a themed basket for the auction. Basket themes this year will include Date Night, Stay-cation, Dad's Day Off, Adventure Seeker, Family Game Night, Gardening, Fishing, Beach Weekend, Snack Attack, Living Local and College Bound. Bidding on class baskets will start at 9:30 a.m. CCS students have also created items that will be up for bids, including paintings.

"Right after the class baskets are auctioned, we will give the bidders an opportunity to raise their paddles to make a donation toward our special project," said Parris, noting that in years past the projects have been a new copier, playground equipment, a bus and picnic tables. "This year, our special project is our capital campaign. The thing we are most excited about is we laid the foundation to add four new classrooms. It will house our fifth grade and two music rooms. We aim to have the classrooms paid in full upon completing the project in January."

Breakfast sandwiches and individual apple dumplings will also be offered for sale at the Cougar Cafe on Oct. 19. Cougar Grounds will offer hot coffee cold brew, hot cider and hot chocolate.

CCS is holding an online auction as well. Bidding will start on Thursday, Oct. 17, at 8 a.m. and run through Sunday, Oct. 27, at noon. Items, unless other arrangements are made, must be picked up at the school.

"It makes bidding convenient for those unable to attend the live auction and is where we sell the bulk of our auction items," Parris noted.

CCS is located at 2760 Main St. (Route 23), Morgantown. For complete details about the barbecue and auction, visit http://www.conestogachristian.net/bbqauction or contact Elisha Hall, events coordinator, at 610-286-0353, ext. 171 or elisha.hall@conestogachristian.net. Overflow parking and a shuttle service will be available at Conestoga Mennonite Church, which is located across the street from the school.