2026 THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH

There's o such thing as a free lunch event flyer

Please join us for the 30th annual edition of “THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH,” benefiting People’s Community Clinic. This signature event is an opportunity to connect with community leaders and hear directly from health care experts. Attended by Austin’s leading lights, innovators, and influencers, the luncheon raises thousands of dollars for patient services and funds critical for clinic operations.

Monday, May 11, 2026
11:00 am

Four Seasons Hotel
98 San Jacinto Blvd., Austin, 78701

W. NEAL KOCUREK AWARD FOR HEALTH ADVOCACY

Join us in honoring Ray Benson, who has worked tirelessly to ensure that Austinites in need have health care.

Past Honorees:

Jewel Mullen, MD, MPH. MPA
State Representative Toni Rose
Becky Beaver & Marina Sifuentes
Peter Hotez, MD, PhD & Maria Bottazzi, PhD

HONORING RAY BENSON

A native of Philadelphia, Ray founded the band Asleep at the Wheel with fellow musicians Lucky Oceans and Leroy Preston. Willie Nelson encouraged the band relocate to Austin in the early 1970s. Since that time, Asleep at the Wheel has recorded more than 30 albums and been the recipient of countless music awards, including multiple Grammys.

Many know Ray for his accomplishments in music, but his advocacy and philanthropic endeavors are extensive. Ray serves on the board of St. David’s Foundation, one of the largest health foundations in the United States. He is a founding board member of the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians, whose mission is to expand access to affordable health care. And a founding board member of the SIMS Foundation, which provides mental health services to the music community.

Ray is a former patient of People’s Community Clinic.

FEATURING

MIKE MACKERT, PHD

Michael Mackert, PHD, is Director of the University of Texas at Austin Center for Health Communication and a professor in the School of Advertising & Public Relations and Department of Population Health. His work focuses on helping people better understand and act on health information, especially those with low health literacy. Through research and community partnerships, he develops evidence-based communication strategies addressing issues such as tobacco cessation, opioid overdose prevention, and prenatal health.

EMILY RAMSHAW

Emily Ramshaw is co-founder and CEO of The 19th, the nation’s first independent nonprofit newsroom covering the intersection of gender, politics, and policy. An award-winning journalist, she previously served as editor-in-chief of The Texas Tribune and is the outgoing board chair of the Pulitzer Prize, where she served for nine years. Ramshaw began her career at The Dallas Morning News and was named to Fortune’s “40 Under 40” list in 2020.