The 40th annual Labor Day Auction benefiting Hospice & Community Care will take place on Saturday, Aug. 31, and Monday, Sept. 2, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Solanco Fairgrounds, South Lime Street, Quarryville. The rain-or-shine event will give community members an opportunity to bid on a wide variety of unique items, enjoy delicious food with their neighbors and support the many ways hospice continues to serve the community after four decades.

Both days of the event will kick off at 7:30 a.m. with the opening of bidder registration. Homemade Amish breakfast items such as sticky buns and made-to-order omelets will be available to purchase on Aug. 31. Breakfast logs, apple fritters and fresh doughnuts will be sold on Sept. 2. Additional food items will be available throughout the event, including pork barbecue at 11 a.m. on Aug. 31 and chicken and rib barbecue at 11 a.m. on Sept. 2.

Ticket sales for an automobile prize drawing will open at 8 a.m. on both days of the auction. In previous years, the winner of the prize drawing received a new Ford Mustang; this year, the drawing will feature a new Chevy Trax as its prize.

On Aug. 31, auctions for collectible items, gift baskets, tools and new and used items will begin at 9 a.m. At noon, the bidding will continue with the Day of Care Auction, which will allow supporters to cover the cost of one day of hospice care for a local patient and his or her family. An art auction will take place at 1 p.m., and the first day of the event will wrap up at 5 p.m.

On Sept. 2, auctions for items such as plants, outdoor items and sports memorabilia will open at 9 a.m., followed by a quilt auction at 10 a.m. At noon, a second Day of Care Auction will take place, and bidding will open for Amish buggies and high-value items such as jewelry and vacations. A furniture auction will kick off at 1 p.m., followed by a shed and outdoor furniture auction at 2 p.m. and a used vehicle auction at 3:30 p.m. The event will conclude with the prize drawing for the Chevy Trax.

"Death is not a part of life we get to avoid, no matter if you're rich, poor, young or old," said Amy Lewis, director of philanthropy at hospice. "Everybody should have the right to dignity and compassion at the end of their lives, and families should be able to spend their final days as family members instead of acting as a nurse or a doctor."

The first Labor Day auction benefiting hospice was held at Willow Street Fire Company, and it raised a little more than $2,000. Forty years later, the event has steadily grown with the Lancaster community, and last year's auction raised nearly $1.1 million. Hospice has also continued to expand its capacity for patients; the number of patients the organization serves annually has increased from six individuals in 1980 to 600 patients today. "The community has helped us grow into the organization it needs to serve people here," Lewis said. "We've been really fortunate to grow right on pace with Lancaster County, and we're serving more people than ever before."

For more information, visit http://www.labordayauction.org.