Donating to Special Olympics

As the president and owner of Ventana Capital, Inc., Darwin Horan oversees raising capital for new land development and entitlement projects. Aside from his career, Darwin Horan charitably supports Special Olympics.

Founded in 1968, Special Olympics aims to provide sports training and competition for both children and adults who live with intellectual disabilities. As a nonprofit organization, Special Olympics relies heavily on donations from the public to achieve its goals.

Donating to the organization is easily accomplished through its website. Hopeful donors can choose either to make a one-time donation or to commit to a reoccurring monthly donation. Donors can either enter their own amount or choose from a selection of suggested amounts ranging from $35 to $1,500.

All donations made within the United States are tax-deductible, with over 80 percent of each donation going to support the athletes. Credit card donations can be made using a Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover card.

To learn more about Special Olympics and other ways to help the organization, including volunteering opportunities, visit SpecialOlympics.org.

Special Olympics Healthy Athletes Initiative

Colorado resident Darwin Horan serves as the CEO of Ventana Capital and has worked in the development industry for over 20 years. With thousands of acres and square feet of land and office spaces as well as 17 subdivisions in the works, Ventana's portfolio is one of the largest in the state. Darwin Horan makes use of his successes as an executive in real estate to give back to his community, contributing to schools and nonprofit organizations like the Special Olympics.

The Special Olympics were founded in 1968 after decades of advocacy on behalf of people with disabilities. Since that time, the organization has helped those with learning and developmental disabilities grow in their confidence, fitness, and friendships. The Special Olympics emphasizes making health service provisions accessible to the underserved and underprivileged, and its Healthy Athletes program helps fulfill this mission by providing free health exams for its athletes around the world.

Within the last few years, the Healthy Athletes program has expanded its services with the Healthy Communities initiative. This addition increased the number of the program's available health clinics, broadened its range of care, and increased the number of people it serves. The initiative ensures health education for athletes as well as their families and coaches. Free health screenings before and after Olympic events are offered, and there are numerous accounts of athletes having their lives bettered after their exams caught illnesses early or discovered ailments that were treatable. With screenings offered in seven different areas of specialization, including vision care, dentistry, and podiatry, the organization's medical team can meet each athlete's individual needs.