Members of the Messiah Lutheran Church teamed up once again to raise money for good causes.
Saturday’s 13th annual Harvest Home Festival at the Anderson Building helped the church raise more than $24,000, chairman Steve Hanschu said.
The event originally was put together to help the church pay off the construction of its fellowship hall addition, but it has continued as a way for church and community members to help each other. A portion of the proceeds are given to a nonprofit organization and to other mission projects.
“We continue to do that even though our debt has been paid off,” Hanschu said.
This year, Camp Alexander will receive 20 percent of the money raised, along with a $1,000 matching grant.
The event has become a popular one, with an auction, a sale of canned goods, a flea market and a variety of foods for sale, from baked goods to popcorn. The two biggest money makers were the auction, which raised $9,153, and the canned goods, between 5,000 and 6,000 jars, which brought in $9,050.
“That’s right around average,” Hanschu said of the amount raised this year. “We’ve been going around $22,000 to $25,000 every year.”
The auction included items from autographed sports memorabilia to antique furniture.
The figures were announced at the church’s Sunday morning service, followed by a meal to celebrate the event’s success.
“We are very appreciative of the support that has been given to us by the community throughout the years,” Hanschu said. “There’s a lot of people, not just church members, who do a lot of volunteer work and a lot of other people who donate vegetables and fruits, bring back canning jars and also come out to support the work and to help provide some additional funding for a non-profit group.”
Camp Alexander was the recipient of money from the first fundraiser in 1996, Hanschu said.
“It’s good to go back to them again this year,” he said.