Princess dresses and tea cups aren’t what someone usually sees in the commons, but last Sunday, royalty arrived at EHS at Health Occupations Club’s Princess Tea Party fundraiser.

Club officers and members volunteered to dress up as princes and princesses and danced and took pictures with children at the event.

“It was so awesome to have parents come up to you after and tell you how you made their daughter’s day,” senior and Health Occupations Secretary Caity Thompson said.

Senior Sam Bledsoe is a member of the club and was disguised as Prince Adam from Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” on Sunday.

“Later on through the event, the girls warmed up and asked (the princes) for our autographs and then we danced…” Bledsoe said. “I really liked the idea of getting to be a different person and what better person than a prince.”

While the children attended the party to dance and make crafts with Disney royalty, the club members hosted the event to gain hours for membership in the club and raise money for them to attend HOSA – Future Health Professionals, formerly Health Occupation Students of America.

According to senior and HOSA chair Morgan Ash, HOSA is a group of “future healthcare professionals from middle school up to college age.” For competitive events, there is a state and a national level of leadership conferences, where many skill-based to team-and-leadership based events are held. If a student places in the top three, he or she can compete at the international level.

In addition to the Princess Tea Party, Health Occupations Club annually sells first aid kits and worked at the Tiger Den this year to raise money for students to attend HOSA.

“HOSA is the basis for the entire club,” Ash said. “We also raise money to donate to the HOSA official charity each year to not only promote health in our school and community but also contribute to nationwide efforts.”

While the club members said the Princess Tea Party was fun, it was also a successful HOSA fundraiser; Thompson said the club raised at least $1,500.

“Because HOSA is so widely successful,” Ash said, “through it we can get a lot more done and create positive change in the community.”