Every Pelotonia rider carries a reason. This year, our team captain, Dale Darnell, carried two names close to his heart: his late wife, Debbie, who lost her life to cancer fifteen years ago, and Cheryl Kruger, Debbie’s dear friend, who passed away on June 13, 2026, after living with Parkinson’s disease.

For Dale, the ride was never just about miles. It was about honoring two women whose lives were connected by friendship, courage, and belief in one another. Debbie was one of the first investors in Cheryl’s Cookies, believing in Cheryl’s vision before it became a beloved million-dollar business. On early Saturday mornings, Debbie and Cheryl would rise before the day began to test recipes, adjust ingredients, taste, laugh, and keep trying until they perfected the cookies that would become part of Cheryl’s legacy.

Cheryl also gave deeply to her community, including service on the board of the OSU-James Cancer Center. Her life, like Debbie’s, reminds us that generosity can take many forms: a friendship, an investment, a recipe shared before sunrise, or a cause carried forward by others.

That spirit found Dale again in an unexpected way. Lia Frost, a cancer survivor in active treatment at The James for brain cancer, noticed the Pelotonia arrows on Dale’s car and left him a note. Later, during the kickoff party, Lia appeared on stage as one of the keynote speakers. Afterward, Dale showed her a picture of the note on his phone. She looked at him and said, “It was you!”

At that moment, the meaning of Pelotonia became beautifully clear. Dale rode for Debbie and Cheryl, but he also rode for Lia, for everyone still fighting, and for every family hoping research will bring more time, more answers, and more tomorrows.

As captain, Dale reminds our team why we ride: for the people we love, the people we miss, and the people whose stories continue to move us forward.