Food, fellowship, and philanthropy.

Those are some of the hallmarks of the Gap Relief Sale.

The 78th anniversary of the event will be held Friday, Aug. 7, and Saturday, Aug. 8, at the Solanco Fairgrounds, 172 S. Lime St., Quarryville.

All proceeds will benefit the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC).

Auction items will include farm equipment, a vinyl swing set, an Amish spring wagon, a couple sheds, quilts, a hunting blind, tools, household goods, and furniture.

The event will start with an eat-in or takeout pork roast dinner from 4 to 7 p.m. on Aug. 7. From 4 to 6 p.m. there will be a preview of items up for bid the next day, followed by that night's auction from 6 to 7:15 p.m.

A Mennonite youth choir will perform after the auction, sandwiched around a presentation by Clair Good, the Mennonite Central Committee's Plain community liaison. Good will talk about the beneficiary of this year's sale, the approximately 500,000 refugees in western Ethiopia coming out of the civil war in South Sudan. "Many of them are struggling because much of the international food or international aid in the forms of food has been cut off," said Good.

A country breakfast at 6 a.m. will start the festivities on Aug. 8. Household items will be up for bid at 8:30 a.m., followed by farm items and shop tools at 9 a.m., outdoor items and shrubbery at 10:30 a.m., and large outdoor items at 1 p.m.

Doughnuts, ice cream, milkshakes, french fries, and soft pretzels will also be sold throughout the event.

"The Mennonite Central Committee works globally at relief and development, food security, education, and peace building in areas of war," said Good.

The Gap Relief Sale plays an integral role in those efforts. "That helps us to get funds together to send to MCC," said Levi Glick. "I think that's the biggest reason. There are lots of people there. You meet people that you may only meet there every year. There's a lot of fellowshipping going on as well. It's about getting together for a day of doing good."

Good said last year the MCC collected 280,000 cans of meat. "Not just the meat is important, but getting it through customs and so forth, and then working at distribution as well," he said. "Sixteen percent of the children in that camp are under 5 years of age, and 16% of them are malnourished. ... It's devastating, but the impact of what MCC's doing with that community is very, very positive, and we've been thankful that we can engage and be effective there."