Fundraising Efforts Bring TPS Students Downtown for Tulsa Opera Matinee

Chris Howell NewsOn6.com

TULSA---Today 2,300 Tulsa schoolchildren were treated to a matinee performance of Don Quichotte at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center.

Citing a difficult economic climate, the Tulsa Opera was originally forced to cut the popular education program due to the $30,000 dollar cost. Tulsa Opera Board member Scott Filstrup responded by pledging $15,000 from the Filstrup Foundation and soliciting donations from area individuals and organizations to fund the program, raising or $35,000 total.

‘Transportation is huge,' said TPS science teacher Danelle Duvall, ‘it's just so much money to get the kids down here. It's like two or three-hundred dollars a bus! We brought four busses, it's huge, so thank you so much!!'

More than 40 busses, funded entirely by donations were used to bring the 2,300 students downtown.