It is with saddened but grateful hearts that Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) announces the Brandon Relief Sale has officially ceased operations after more than 35 years of this event raising funds for its international relief and development work.

The Brandon MCC Relief Sale, run by a committee of local volunteers, last took place in September 2019 at the Brandon Keystone Centre. Operations were suspended in 2020 due to the Covid pandemic.

It was one of 38 similar events in North America at the time, raising money to support the vision and mission of MCC.

The annual event featured a combination of auctions (silent and live), sales of fresh produce, farmer sausage, home baking and fresh foods, books, antiques, quilts and handcrafted items.

In addition, entertainment and the festive camaraderie of community gathering and eating together made the Brandon MCC Relief Sale a fixture on the local fall events calendar. Thanks to widespread support and an incredible number of volunteer hours, hundreds of thousands of dollars were raised by the sale over the years.

“Over the 35 years of its existence, the Brandon Relief Sale committee, together with augmented forces of event day volunteers, worked tirelessly and with passion to bring this event to life,” stated MCC Manitoba executive director Darryl Loewen. 

“We owe a debt of gratitude to these friends of MCC and to the entire Westman community for their incredible support and dedication. It’s grassroots efforts like these that bring people together at the local level and the results make a tangible and lasting difference in the lives of our global neighbours who find themselves in vulnerable situations in need of assistance and hope.”

MCC and the Brandon MCC Relief Sale committee would like to thank local businesses, supporters, volunteers, the media and the broader Westman community for embracing this event for over three decades. The local presence of MCC continues to be found in the Westman region through the retail hub of the Brandon MCC Thrift Shop at 414 Pacific Avenue.

The thrift shop offers a welcoming space for customers, volunteers and donors through sales of affordable second-hand and new products, and is committed to environmental sustainability in recycling, repurposing and reducing waste.

Annual net financial forwarding's from the shop go toward the work of MCC internationally. Please call 204-727-1162 or go to mccthrift.com for more information.

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