Leon Summers remembers the summer of 1948 well.

It was the first year the Gap Relief Auction was held. It also marked the first year an event of its kind was hosted by a Plain community in North America.

The auction celebrated its 60th anniversary Saturday at the Solanco Fairgrounds in Quarryville.

Summers, now 88, has never missed one.

"It's helped us good," Summers, an Old Order Mennonite, said.

The auction was started by the Maple Grove Mennonite Church of Atglen in 1948. It was held at Summers' farm just north of Gap. It originally auctioned off mostly just farming equipment.

"These men had a vision for raising money for [Mennonite Central Committee]," head auctioneer Leon Kurtz said, "and they thought having an auction would be a good way to do it."

The MCC is the relief, service and development agency of Amish, Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches.

Over the years the auction has expanded to include furniture, plants, wood carvings and just about every other specialty item made by Plain folk, in addition to the homemade bed quilts that were some of the highlights on the auction block Saturday.

"The auction has its own personality," said MCC representative Leroy Stoltzfus. "This is a family sale."

People travel far to come to the auction and not only for deals, but also good company and goods.

"My family has been coming up here for 15 years," said Courtney Holmstrom, who drove up Saturday morning with her husband and daughter from Maryland. "A lot of furniture in my house is from this place."

About 400 registered bidders showed up, Kurtz said.

"It's probably as high as we've ever gone," he said. "We've got a good crowd."

And the deals people got Saturday were ones they could feel good about.

All proceeds from the auction sales benefit MCC's international charity efforts. The money is used to fund aid to combat hunger and poverty. Stoltzfus said there would be a special effort to send aid to Iraqis this year.

About $140,000 was raised in the past two years from the auction, Stoltzfus said.

The amount from this year's event was not available Saturday.

Other Plain congregations in the U.S. and Canada have followed the example of the Gap auction, Stoltzfus said.

"I believe in the cause," said Jami Karr of New Holland, who had just purchased some plants for her yard. "Anytime you're helping a cause like the MCC, it's a good deal."

But the auction is also a good place to have fun, meet new people, and of course, eat fine Plain delicacies.

"It's just fun," Karr said. "Anytime the Amish are making food — it's good."

Homemade doughnuts, chicken barbecue, milk shakes and fresh fruit cups were among the wide selection of foods for sale.

But it was the quilts that were the main attraction. Sixty-four bed quilts of different sizes, shapes and designs were on the auction block. Many of them were made by women at the Country Gift and Thrift and Material Resource Center in Gap.

"We've always come for the quilt auction," Courtney Holmstrom said. "My mom's a quilter so we've come here for her."

Some of the larger quilts brought up to $500.

Items that were auctioned Saturday were all donated by local businesses and individuals.

"A lot of work went into making this happen," Stoltzfus said, "but working together brings us together."

Asked whether Summers, who now lives in Ephrata, would be back for the 61st auction next year, he replied:

"If I'm around, yes," he said, "I'm gonna keep on coming to the sales as long as I can do it."