First, Lee Caswell rode in Tour de Cure with his company’s team—it seemed like “a fun event” for a casual cyclist. Then, he rode to support his wife Melissa, who developed type 2 diabetes as a result of pancreatic cancer.

Today, Lee rides in Melissa’s memory and to support the millions of Americans living with diabetes. “I became very invested in memorializing her and rallying people from my personal environment, my work environment, and the larger community,” he recalls. In a few short years, Lee has become one of the Tour de Cure: Northern California’s top fundraisers. He chaired the event in 2024, helping to relocate the ride from Sonoma to Silicon Valley and engage the many high-profile companies in the area. The event hosted nearly 1,000 riders, who raised more than $1 million.

Lee hopes his efforts will help find a cure for diabetes, raise awareness, and erase some of the stigma surrounding the disease: “Once you start talking about diabetes, you just find so many people have been impacted by it. So it’s really about channeling those connections into action. You can make a difference in somebody’s life.”