O.P.E.R.A., Inc.'s latest fund drive to raise money for restoration of the historic Ellendale Opera House totaled $73,125, surpassing the "Next Step" fund-raising goal of $50,000.

The fund drive began in May and concluded Friday, Oct. 15 with a public reception and celebration in the Opera House Lobby & Gallery.

O.P.E.R.A. – Organization of People in Ellendale for Restoration of the Arts – is a non-profit organization formed in 1992 to save the 112-year-old building from the wrecking ball.

"We're very thankful to all those who pitched in to help us reach our ambitious fund drive goal," Executive Director Justin Meidinger, said. "The response from our donors was very gratifying and an indication of the growing public support for restoration of the Main Street landmark."

A special reception – open to the public – will be held Friday, October 15 at the Ellendale Opera House to celebrate the successful completion of O.P.E.R.A.'s latest fund drive.

The celebration will feature the 'live' performance of the "Willow Creek Folk School" from the stage of the opera house auditorium.

The public reception begins at 7 p.m. followed by viewing of the Willow Creek program at 8 p.m. It will be streamed live from the opera house and can be viewed on Facebook. The link to the program can be accessed at: www.facebook.com/plainsfolk.

Tom Isern, a distinguished professor of history at NDSU, and Suzzanne Kelley, NDSU Press Publisher/Editor-in-Chief, began the weekly Willow Creek program more than a year ago when the pandemic began.

O.P.E.R.A., Inc. today (April 21) kicked off a new matching fund-drive – Next Step – to help pay for improvements aimed at increasing business and community use of the historic Ellendale Opera House.

The campaign goal is $50,000, with all contributions up to $25,000 matched dollar-for- dollar by anonymous opera house supporters.

Those who donate $250 or more to the Next Step fund-drive between now and July 31 will receive a custom-designed O.P.E.R.A. mug.

O.P.E.R.A. began its current "Building Our Future and Preserving Our Past" campaign to raise funds to restore the 1909 opera house in late 2018. In 2019, O.P.E.R.A. raised nearly $80,000 as part of the 80th birthday celebration for long- time opera house advocate Jeanette Robb.

The group raised another $13,000 in donations from the book "Visions from My Childhood" with images created by Ellendale native Kevin Kendall.

Time is running out to join O.P.E.R.A.'s "Back Wall Bunch" with a donation, and receive a handsome (and useful) coffee mug as a reward.