April 1, 2025

Going Once, Going Twice, SOLD! Saline Center Consignment Sale Is a Perfect Fit for BetterLife’s Mission

The Saline Center in Western, Nebraska, organized its first consignment sale in 1984 to benefit lodge hall renovations and support local initiatives that were important to community leaders. At the time, lodge members were part of ZCBJ/WFLA and bound together by a shared Czech heritage.

Forty-one years later, and now part of BetterLife Insurance, that original purpose and spirit of the sale are still alive and well. It is also a not-so-subtle reminder of BetterLife’s mission, which is to help members protect their families’ financial futures, build better lives, and better their communities.

“BetterLife has just been great for us,” said Beth Horak, who currently serves as the hall manager for the Saline Center and has a seat on the Member Advisory Board for BetterLife. “Our son and his wife are both members. I’ve got three grandchildren who are all members.”

“This is helping our community and our hall,” she said. “I love the family atmosphere. We have three or four generations here together, and that’s really cool. I really love that part of it.”

It’s hard to describe a farm consignment sale on this size and scale. Local members of the community — farmers, antique collectors, and others — bring in used equipment, vehicles, hay, firearms, small livestock, and other items to sell on consignment to the highest bidder. A dozen auctioneers volunteer their time and energy throughout the day to feature several thousand items for sale, and a portion of the proceeds from each sale goes back to the Saline Center. This year, 1912 bidders registered for the sale and an estimated 4,000 people attended.

You will also find food — and lots of it. Kolaches are a big draw, so much so that an intergenerational group of lodge hall members got together over three days during the week of the sale to bake the traditional Czech pastries filled with fruit, poppy seeds, coconut, cream cheese, and other delightful flavors.

“We made 198 dozen kolaches,” said Barb Petracek, “so that adds up to 2,376.” Sales started before the event’s official start time of 9:30 a.m., and the Kolache Korner had all but sold out by 1:00 p.m.

Salegoers still had plenty of options to choose from, including traditional pork, sauerkraut, and dumplings, along with sloppy joes, hot dogs, hamburgers, and nachos. Organizers noted that this year’s sale exceeded the previous year’s gross receipts by several thousand dollars, a trend that has grown steadily over the lifetime of the sale.

One of the most striking things about the sale is that it is entirely run by volunteers. Zach Keller, a younger BetterLife member who spent some of the afternoon driving a side-by-side four-wheeler around the sale grounds to check in on volunteers, estimated that more than 130 BetterLife members and friends rolled up their sleeves to pull off this year’s event.

“We’re kind of like a family around here,” said Keller. “My parents made me a BetterLife member when I was born. Getting younger generations into helping the hall succeed is huge for the future, to keep it going.” Members like Keller are excited to see how the new BetterLife Connect platform might be able to engage a new generation of members and sustain the role the Saline Center has played in the local community.

The social membership program is designed to bring people together and support members in their pursuit of greater overall well-being. It is also the embodiment of BetterLife’s common bond: To foster well-being by celebrating traditions, supporting one another, and strengthening financial security in our communities.

“It’s pretty special,” said Keller. “It’s just important to be a part of something like this.”

Debra Polacek couldn’t agree more. Polacek has been involved with the Saline Center for most of her life, and she and her husband held their wedding dance at the lodge hall. At this year’s sale, she managed on-site finances.

“I love this place,” said Polacek, taking a moment to wipe a few tears from her eyes and look around at the crowd of visitors and volunteers on the main floor of the lodge. “It is just wonderful to see people come together. I really think we still need that in our society today.”

You can learn more about upcoming BetterLife events and register for a free BetterLife Connect social membership at connect.betterlifeins.com.