A new club at Ray High School is hosting a health and wellness fair Wednesday to serve the public and to raise funds for community causes.

The event, scheduled for 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Ray High School track and field, will include booths with medical professionals, Driscoll Children’s Hospital’s Behavioral and Mental Health Program and Texas A&M University’s Healthy South Texas program.

“It’s promoting community wellness, especially for high school students and the rest of the community, to make sure that they know about their mental health and physical health,” senior and club founder Lillian McKenna said of the event. “It’s also to expose young people to new medical careers.”

The event is free, but attendees will be able to buy raffle tickets and concession snacks with proceeds benefiting the American Heart Association, Driscoll’s Behavioral and Mental Health Program and the Ray High School Medical Club.

McKenna said that leadership and health science clubs from other area schools also plan to help with the event.

What is the Ray High School Medical Club?

The club, for any student at the school interested in health professions, was started by students in the International Baccalaureate program last year.

The school already had a HOSA-Future Health Professionals club, but the organization is tied to specific courses that don’t fit into the typical IB schedule.

“It’s a club where everybody can get involved no matter what classes they take and what they’re interested in,” McKenna said. “(The club) is kind of just to expose people to a broad range of careers in medicine and then to help people become more involved in their community.”

The students hope that a successful health and wellness fair could help create momentum and support for the club to build on in future years, even after the current members graduate.

“I’m glad the Medical Club is open to everyone and that they let everyone learn more about medicine,” said junior Leela Bindingnavele, who is interested in a career in plastic surgery.

Senior Alina Lee is interested in pharmaceutical research.

“I don’t have any family connections to medicine, so it’s a little hard to get exposure or even just get experience or knowledge about the medical industry,” Lee said. “This is a great opportunity for me to get connected. … (The club) is about increasing opportunities for people who may think they don’t have a space in the medical industry and to show them there are so many options.”

If you go

• What: Health and wellness fair at Ray High School

• When: 4:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday

• Where: Ray High School track and field

• Cost: Free; raffle tickets and concessions available to purchase

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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Ray High School club hosting community health and wellness fair