Toledo Opera will present Sing While You Work: Day of Service on Saturday, May 2, 2026 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Forest Cemetery (1110 Paxton St., Toledo, OH 43608). This event is free and open to the public, with registration required. Registration is available at: toledoopera.org.
Sing While You Work: Day of Service will bring together community volunteers and veteran organizations to clean, pre-mark, and prepare veteran graves ahead of Memorial Day. Participants will engage in hands-on service as a way to honor those who served, contributing to the care and preservation of an important local historic site. Tasks include both seated or walking activities. Lunch will be provided for all volunteers by Manhattan’s Pub’n Cheer.
The event coincides with Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) National Day of Service, which begins on May 2, 2026 and continues throughout the month. Taking place across the nation and around the world, VFW National Day of Service highlights veterans working together to make a difference in their communities. By dedicating the entire month to service, the initiative spotlights the ongoing commitment of veterans who continue to lead lives of service beyond their time in uniform.
Sing While You Work: Day of Service is presented as part of Toledo Opera’s America 250 Week, presented by The Wolfe Family Foundation and the Lucas County Commissioners. The week-long series recognizes the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary through community-centered programming that highlights the people, places, and contributions of Northwest Ohio in shaping the American story.
For James M. Norman, General Director of Toledo Opera, this day of service reflects the organization’s deep commitment to honoring veterans not only through performance, but through direct community action; creating space for reflection, remembrance, and stewardship as part of its America 250 programming: “We are deeply honored to spend this day in service at Forest Cemetery, caring for the resting places of those who gave so much for our country. At Toledo Opera, we believe remembrance is an act of gratitude, and this is a small but meaningful way to pay tribute to our veterans and ensure their legacy is never forgotten.”
“There are 5,168 known military veterans in Forest Cemetery,” shared Army Brigadier General (retired) Chris Dziubek, vice president of the Toledo-Lucas County Memorial Day Association. “More than 20% of their graves are unmarked. This Day of Service will ensure that all those graves are pre-marked in a way that ensures a successful placement of an American Flag on those graves on May 16-17 as we prepare for Memorial Day.”
Additional organizations supporting Sing While You Work: Day of Service are as follows: Lucas County Veterans Service Commission; Lucas County Cemetery Historical Association; Women’s Veteran Initiative; Toledo Lucas County Memorial Day Association (Cemetery Committee, “Team Forest” sub-committee); VFW Post 3338 (Commodore Perry); AL Post 110 (Point Place) (Gordon McLaughlin); AL Post 335 (Toledo Post); Friends of Forest Group; Scouting America Club Scout Pack 123 (Point Place); Scouting America Troop 39 (Rosary Cathedral); Owens Corning (SALUTE Affinity Group); Higher Grounds Memorial Care (non-profit organization); and AMVETS Post 222 (Summit Street in Point Place).
Toledo Opera will host Sing While You Work: Day of Service at Forest Cemetery on Saturday, May 2, 2026 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.. To learn more about America 250 Week, to register, and/or to buy Gala tickets, visit: toledoopera.org. For media access, please contact Rachael Cammarn at rcammarn@toledoopera.org.
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