For Kohli, a second-year human medicine student, donating his work was an easy decision because it goes toward a good cause.

The art being auctioned was created and donated by medical students in the colleges of Osteopathic Medicine and Human Medicine. Proceeds go to the Community Voices: Healthcare for the Underserved, an affiliate of the Ingham County Health Department.

“It’s for a good cause and I’m behind their cause,” Kohli said. “I love to travel and being able to share that with classmates and the community.”

This isn’t the first year Kohli submitted artwork for the auction. Last year, his donation of two photographs earned $100 for the fundraiser.

One of the photographs he submitted this year was taken this past summer during a trip in eastern Turkey near the Iranian border.

“We were riding up the mountains to get to the Ishak Pasha Palace, and the sun was setting behind me,” he said. “The setting of the sun with the coming storm provided this surreal fairy tale-like setting. It almost doesn’t look like it was physically possible with the environment it created. The palace is perched on the hill, and right on the palace is a flood of sunshine.”

This is the first year the event will be held at Grand River Coffee Café, 515 W. Grand River Ave. In the past, the event was held at the Creole Gallery, 1218 Turner St., in Lansing, but the death of the previous owner left the group to find a new venue for the event.

“(Grand River Coffee Café) have gone out of their way to help us,” said Sarah Lindsay, a second-year human medicine student and co-president of Physicians for Humans Rights. “They are a starting-up business and they want to become involved in the community.”

There is a suggested donation of $5 for students and $10 for community members who attend the event. In addition to artwork, there will be refreshments and live music provided.

The donation will be used to purchase items for the mobile health unit, said Max Baisel, Ingham Community Health Centers program coordinator.

“It will help us with our supplies with the bus,” he said. “It will buy personal supplies, over-the-counter medicines and things we don’t have a budget for. Some years they have bought us bigger items like blood pressure cuffs.”

This is the fifth year proceeds from the auction have been donated to Community Voices.

“It’s fabulous. I love the medical students,” Baisel said. “They do a variety of fundraisers throughout the year and to give up time here serving patients. It’s a fabulous thing, and I’m glad both colleges support it.”