Special Olympics Car Donation Review

“When we learned we could donate our car to
Special Olympics,
we knew it was the absolute perfect way to honor her time with us.”

We purchased our Mini Cooper in 2006, before marriage and before kids. She was the perfect car for 2 people living in a city; she had a 6-speed manual transmission and drove like a mashup of Super Mario Kart and the Italian Job. After we were married and before our first daughter was born, we piled ourselves and our 75 pound dog Cisco in for a long weekend getaway to Santa Fe (picture attached). Oversized cars are overrated! Over the years, we managed to squeeze 2 car seats into the back, and sometimes an additional big dog (or two). For 5 years she safely handled almost 500 miles a week in a long-distance work commute, and was the perfect car for that too. Our girls loved riding in her because they could see out the window so easily. When our third child was born we transitioned to a minivan, at which point our Mini Cooper was retired to the coveted 3rd car position, reserved for joy rides and adult-only outings. We called her our “micro-machine”, yet somehow she always managed to fill our biggest needs. At 15 years old, with almost 170,000 miles, she finally let us know she was tired. We struggled to find the right resting place for a car that had given us so much joy. Our son has cognitive and intellectual disabilities, and when we learned we could donate her to the Special Olympics we knew it was the absolute perfect way to honor her time with us. For some people a car is simply a method of transportation, a way to get from A to B. Our Mini Cooper certainly accomplished that, but with way more personality. We are grateful for the opportunity to have had such a spunky little car, and we are even more grateful knowing that she may continue to impact lives through our donation. And when our son is old enough, we hope he will participate in the Special Olympics, bringing our joy and gratitude full circle.

Thank You, Danella!

Since its founding in 1968, Special Olympics aims to create a better world by encouraging the acceptance and inclusion of all people. Through training, competitions, health screenings, and fundraising events, Special Olympics helps people with intellectual disabilities discover new strengths, abilities, skills, and success. With over 30 Olympic-type sports, the organizations offers children and adults with intellectual disabilities an abundance of ways to be involved in their communities and to show who they really are.

More Donation Stories