The Special Olympics Texas games are headed to the Hill Country for the fourth year in a row, following Bee Cave City Council’s approval of a $100,000 hotel occupancy tax fund to support the event.

The overview

The Special Olympics Winter Games is a statewide competition in which individuals with intellectual disabilities participate in volleyball, powerlifting, golf, and floor lifting competitions. This year, the event will be held from Feb. 14-16 in several locations across Bee Cave and Lakeway, including middle school campuses in both cities.

Both Bee Cave and Lakeway have been asked to contribute funds, said Chad Eason, Special Olympics Texas’ Senior Director of Competitions and Games

Of the $100,000 in funds approved by Bee Cave, $15,000 will be used for marketing and promotion, while the rest of the funding will go to hotels, venues, meals, advertising, and venue equipment, Eason said. Previously, the organization applied for $300,000 from Lakeway, which was approved in August.

The background

The Special Olympics have been held in Bee Cave for the past three years. According to Mayor Kara King, funding the event is “the biggest thing that [the city of Bee Cave] contributes to every year.” Funds generated from hotel occupancy taxes are collected from visitors, not residents, as Lakeway council members previously emphasized after approving their HOT fund for this event.

In 2022, the event saw 430 rooms booked at the Sonesta and Mountain Star hotels in Bee Cave. In 2023, 485 were booked, and by 2024 that number had risen to 499, Eason said during his presentation.

The amount of money put back into the community has also grown increasingly over the past several years. Money spent on Bee Cave businesses as a result of the event in 2022 was estimated at $240,968, according to Eason’s presentation. By 2024 that number had grown to $614,582. The majority of this money was spent on hotels, venues and meals, Eason said.

Although the council voted to approve the HOT fund, council member Kevin Hight drew attention to concerns regarding the organization’s reliance on city funding rather than commercial funding.

“The expectation is that we get replaced [as a] funding source over time. It seems like we’re sort of stuck in a loop here,” Hight said. “I think it’s a great cause. I’m just concerned that it’s going to become sort of a perpetual ask as opposed to something that we’re helping you cement and get functioning.”’

Eason acknowledged the council member’s concerns.

“I understand, and that’s definitely something we’re trying to grow in is our sponsorships,” Eason said. “With the amount that we spend going back into the city we’re hoping that that’s helping you as well.”

The council approved the HOT fund request unanimously, with a footnote being added to the approval by council member Courtney Hohl requesting that the organization secure more sponsorships before making their next funding request to City Council.

What’s next

Special Olympics Texas has expressed interest in holding their annual Winter Games in the area for 3-5 years, according to city documents.