Holiday Wishes

Opera for Every Child

Help Bring Opera On Wheels to Schools Across the Region

Every year, Toledo Opera receives requests from schools eager to bring Opera On Wheels to their students. Teachers tell us how much their students light up during a live performance – how seeing opera in their own school sparks creativity, confidence, and curiosity.

But for many schools, especially those with limited arts budgets, bringing this transformative experience to their students simply isn’t possible.

This holiday season, you can change that.

What is Holiday Wishes?

Holiday Wishes is Toledo Opera’s seasonal giving initiative dedicated to ensuring that every child has access to the arts.

Each year, dozens of schools hope to host an Opera On Wheels performance, but cannot cover the cost. Through Holiday Wishes, donors can directly sponsor these schools and bring music, storytelling, and joy into their classrooms.

Schools Hoping for Opera On Wheels This Season

Your support will help us bring Opera On Wheels to schools that have requested performances but lack the resources to make them possible:

- Mason Central Elementary in Erie, Michigan
- Cathedral School in Toledo, Ohio (sponsored thanks to the generosity of a supporter like you)
- Bath Elementary in Lima, Ohio
- Elmwood Elementary in Bloomdale, Ohio

These schools are eager to welcome our Resident Artists and introduce their students to the magic of live opera. With your generosity, every child in these communities can experience the power of storytelling, music, and imagination.

Why Opera On Wheels Matters

For more than 45 years, Opera On Wheels has traveled across the region bringing high-quality, age-appropriate, professional opera performances to students. Each tour reaches 18,000 – 22,000 young people annually.

Students experience:

- Live singing and storytelling performed by our Resident Artists
- Educational themes such as friendship, courage, and empathy
- A first, unforgettable encounter with the performing arts
- Opportunities to participate, ask questions, and meet real opera singers.

Learn More About This Year’s Production

How You Can Help

A single gift makes a big impact:

$600 sponsors one school.
Your generosity brings an Opera On wheels performance directly to hundreds of students – many of whom have never experienced live opera before.

Any amount makes a difference.
All donations made through Holiday Wishes support Opera On Wheels performances for schools in need throughout our region. When you support Holiday Wishes, you’re not just giving funds. You’re giving wonder, excitement, and the spark of lifelong curiosity. You’re showing students that their stories, imaginations, and futures matter.

Give the gift of Opera On Wheels today. Email Leah Whitaker at lwhitaker@toledoopera.org to donate and/or to learn more.