Dara Howell is an Olympic Freestyle skier from Huntsville, Ontario who won a gold medal in slope-style skiing at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. She is the first freestyle skier to win a gold medal in this event.

Inspired by the support of her community, Dara and her family approached the Muskoka Community Foundation midway through 2013 about creating an endowment fund to give back to those who had supported them on her journey to the Olympic podium.

In April 2014, the Howell family created the Dara’s  Fund at the Muskoka Community Foundation. The fund will build a legacy and provide resources and opportunities for Muskoka’s female athletes who excel in any sport to pursue their dreams, regardless of whether or not they are attending a post-secondary educational institution.