Approximately 70 people from the Morgantown, West Virginia, and Athens and Marietta, Ohio, congregations enjoyed an evening of food and fellowship March 3 as Marietta hosted a dinner and auction fund-raiser.

The objective of the fund-raiser was twofold, according to the pastor Tim Waddle. First, it was "to give every young person who wanted to go, the opportunity to go to camp." Second, a portion of the proceeds would also go toward good works projects in the local area.

The evening began with a spaghetti dinner prepared by the Athens-Marietta Women's Club. Candles at each table and a slide show featuring candid shots of Church members added a family feeling to the atmosphere.

Afterward, bidding began in the silent auction. Approximately 30 items, ranging from note cards to necklaces to artwork to baked goods, had been handmade and donated by members of the three congregations. One of the more popular items was a handmade cloth dish-holder, perfect for carrying casserole dishes to potlucks.

As soon as bidding closed for the silent auction, Mr. Waddle, auctioneer for the evening, kicked off the live auction. Friendly inter-church rivalry, and even some sibling rivalry, kept the bidding lively.

The hot item of the evening was a full-length, handmade quilt by Anna Waggoner of the Marietta congregation. It brought a high bid of $110 for the evening.

Other popular items included homemade fudge; a relaxation basket filled with an instrumental CD, a bottle of wine, chocolates, etc.; a hand-stitched pillow; a pumpkin pie; artwork by one of the older teens; and a blanket decorated with pictures of birds. Approximately 20 items, handmade and donated by Church members, were auctioned off during the live auction.

A total of $1,017 was raised during the evening's activities.