VALDOSTA — A wine-tasting event hopes to raise money for the Partnership Health Center next week, says Amy Brogdon-Draper with Partnership Health Center.

Sponsored by 306 North and Smitty’s, the event will benefit Partnership Health Center, which provides free medical assistance to the working uninsured in Lowndes County. To be eligible for services, a person must be employed full- or part-time and earn less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level or be the non-working dependent of a working family member, a resident of Lowndes County, and between the ages of 18-64.

“All proceeds will benefit our free medical clinic, which supports people with medical problems such as diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, hypothyroidism, and even cancer to name a few,” Brogdon-Draper says.

There are patients who go to hospital emergency departments who don’t have what would be considered an emergency by triage classifications of life-threatening injuries or symptoms. Essentially, these patients are sick or have a chronic condition that is not immediately life-threatening. Their emergency comes in that they are uninsured, cannot afford to pay a doctor out of pocket, and that the emergency department staff must see and treat them.

The clinic is designed to help folks finding themselves in this situation, as well as helping with other medical care.

The center is sponsored by the Lowndes County Partnership for Health. Volunteers make the clinic work. Area physicians and other medical personnel volunteer their time and talents to the center. As more physicians hopefully volunteer, the center hopes to increase its availability in terms of clinic hours, patient eligibility, and other services.

The wine-tasting benefit is scheduled for 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, 306 North, 306 N. Patterson St. Admission: $10 per person. More information: Call 245-0020, ext. 3.