A fundraiser to help soldiers who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan with physical or emotional wounds will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the S.C Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum.

The fundraiser – which is free, though donations are encouraged – will benefit the Hidden Wounds and Independence Fund organizations, which step in to help when service members need more care than the Veterans Administration can provide.

Highlights include a beer and wine tasting, light hors d’oeuvres, and a silent auction.

The event also will feature a viewing of the museum’s newest exhibit, “Conflict Zone: A Groundbreaking Look at War,” which is a project of the Independence Fund. “Conflict Zone” is a collection of images from the front lines of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, captured by some of the world’s leading combat photographers and journalists.

More information is available on the Hidden Wounds website, www.hiddenwounds.org, or by calling (803) 403-8460.

- Jeff Wilkinson