The community is invited to participate in Conestoga Christian School's (CCS) 48th annual chicken barbecue and auction, to be held on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 15 and 16. All proceeds will benefit the school, which offers classes for students in preschool through 12th grade.

The event will begin with the barbecue dinner on Oct. 15, which will be takeout only. Each dinner will include a half-chicken, applesauce, chips, a dinner roll and butter, a whoopie pie and a choice of water or lemonade. Half-chickens only will also be available. To order chicken barbecue tickets in advance, visit http://www.conestogachristian.net/auction-2021. Online ordering will end at 8 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 11. A limited supply of dinners will be available to purchase at the door. Dinners may be picked up in the school's front parking lot from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Oct. 15.

Michelle Parris, CCS admissions director, explained that the drive-up service was implemented last year because of the pandemic. "It went so well last year, so we are keeping (it that way)," she said. "We were able to serve so many people. We actually sold over 2,200 dinners last year, all drive-through."

Also on Oct. 16, a gift certificate store will be open outside the school, and there will be homemade apple dumplings available for purchase.

A live auction will be held on Oct. 16 from 9 to 11 a.m. "The other thing we implemented last year was a tent in our back parking lot where we held our auction on Saturday. We are doing the same thing this year," Parris noted.

The live auction will feature a selection of items, experiences, artwork, quilts and homemade jams and yogurt. Auction highlights will include a Discovery Flight from Chester County Aviation; four tickets to the Eagles versus the Giants game on Sunday, Dec. 26; and a compound archery bow.

In addition, each class at the school has designed a themed basket for the auction. Basket themes will include Date Night, Health and Wellness, Family Fun and Gardening. Bidding on class baskets will start at 9:30 a.m. Coffee, breakfast sandwiches, doughnuts, homemade yogurt, fruit and apple dumplings will also be offered for sale.

For the fourth year, CCS is holding an online auction as well. Bidding will start on Thursday, Oct. 14, at 8 a.m. and run through Tuesday, Oct. 26, at noon. Online auction items will include handmade crafts, meal packages from the Beam and Kurtz family farms and a Thanksgiving centerpiece from Flourish Flowers in East Earl. Bidders can visit http://tinyurl.com/CCSonline2021 for more details.

Parris noted that many alumni regularly attend the annual events. "We had so many alumni and their families back on campus last year," she said. "We actually have a lot of alumni that have enrolled their children here, which is exciting."

CCS is located at 2760 Main St., (Route 23), Morgantown. For complete details about the barbecue and auction, visit the previously mentioned websites or http://www.facebook.com/conestogachristianschool or call Deborah Kurtz at 610-286-0353. Overflow parking and a shuttle service will be available at Conestoga Mennonite Church, which is located across the street from the school.