HURON — In a tradition nearly as time honored as eating just a bit too much on Thanksgiving, the benefit auction for the James Valley Christian School will once again take place.
This year’s auction - the 60th annual event - will take place over two days again this year, Saturday, Nov. 30 and Monday, Dec. 2.
“This is the 60th year of the benefit auction,” confirmed Evie Borschard, the event coordinator for the school, who, with Jill Mendel, is organizing this year’s fundraiser. “We have many of the items that people have come to know and expect, some new opportunities for our bidders and some things that remind us of how it started.”
Mendel said that the auction began in 1959, when, going through some storage space, some unused school equipment was discovered.
“They found some old typewriters, the story goes,” Mendel said. “They decided to offer the typewriters and some other things for sale. A few people donated some house plants as well and there were some baked goods offered. And that was how it began.”

To pay homage to that first auction, there are 60 houseplants donated to this year’s auction and extra baked goods will be available.
Over the past six decades, the list of offerings has continued to grow and evolve, the purpose has remained the same. All of the funds raised through the live auction, the silent auction, the specialty items and from the very popular concessions sales goes toward the operation of the James Valley Christian School.
“The auction proceeds covers about half of the operating funds,” said JVC Superintendent Brian Held. “James Valley Christian receives no federal or state funding. We operate entirely on proceeds from our different fundraisers and from donations.”
Leading the list of donated items this year is a John Deere lawn tractor, with attachments to go from “snow to mow,” Mendel said. A full listing of items that will be offered can be found on the school’s website, jvcs.org.
The auction begins at 4:15 p.m. on Saturday and will run until around 9:30 that night, resuming at 5:45 p.m. Monday night and ending with the traditional scoop shovel auction. Several local auctioneers are donating their time and talents to this year’s event.
Along the way, specific items are set for different times. Tickets for next spring’s stewardship dinner theater (the first in the new theater), reserved parking places, reserved concert seats and being an assistant coach for basketball games are in the offering in the 6 p.m. hour on Saturday.
Through Saturday night, there will be a guided Missouri River fishing trip offered, a snowblower, the first of two angus bulls and the first pass at the shovel. There will be a Black Hills cabin rental, Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings tickets, as well as tickets to Christian/Pop artist Lauren Daigel’s concert next spring.
Monday night will see a hoverboard - one of the numerous items purchased and donated by one of the classes at the school, a Kirby Puckett autographed baseball and that John Deere tractor. Also, a cabin rental at Lake Byron, tickets to a Nebraska Cornhusker’s football game and another chance at Lauren Daigel tickets,
Pork loin sandwiches are on the menu for Saturday and Monday is steak sandwich night. Always available will be grilled burgers, nachos and more baked goods than can be imagined.
“The weekend after Thanksgiving has just become a good time to have the auction,” Held said. “We have many alumni who are home for the holiday and the auction has become a reunion of sorts for people. It’s very much a family atmosphere.”