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2026 IMPACT HERO FINALIST
Dana Dobrowolski
Director of Accounting | PRG Real Estate
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Every Mile Has Meaning
Twenty-four hours. One stationary bike. And a cause worth every mile.
For Dana Dobrowolski, supporting veterans through Team Foster began in 2022 with the PHL Ruff Ride, a 24-hour stationary cycling fundraiser. Traditionally, teams of riders take turns keeping a bike moving continuously for an entire day. But after several years of participating, Dana decided to take on a very different challenge. In 2025, she rode all 24 hours herself!
It wasn't simply an endurance test. Dana wanted to do something difficult enough to get people talking, raise more money and bring greater attention to the challenges veterans can face long after their military service ends.
The cause behind those miles is Team Foster, an organization that works to provide highly trained service dogs to veterans with disabilities. For Dana, the impact of those dogs is what makes the physical challenge worthwhile.
A service dog can help a veteran navigate public spaces, retrieve items and regain independence. But the relationship can extend far beyond physical assistance. A dog can also provide companionship, confidence, stability and connection—important sources of support for veterans living with trauma, isolation or other lasting effects of their service.
Going the Distance
Dana's relationship with the Ruff Ride didn't begin with a solo 24-hour challenge. As a team captain in previous years, she recruited riders, coordinated schedules, encouraged fundraising and helped ensure someone was on the bike throughout the entire event. Then she decided to raise the stakes.
Preparing to ride solo for 24 hours required approximately six months of training. At the peak of her preparation, Dana spent as many as 20 hours per week on the bike, with individual training sessions lasting up to eight hours. She even kept up her training while attending a work retreat in the Bahamas.
Through those long hours, Dana kept the difficulty in perspective: the discomfort she experienced on the bike would end after 24 hours. For many veterans, the physical and emotional effects of their service are something they navigate every day.
Dana completed the full ride and finished the 2025 event as its highest individual fundraiser, earning the "Ruffest Rider" award. But the recognition wasn't what mattered most to her. The real achievement was the awareness and funding the ride generated for veterans.
"Twenty-four hours of discomfort on a bike is temporary. For many veterans, the effects of their service are something they navigate every day.”
The Ride Continues
Crossing the finish line didn't end Dana's commitment. She returned to the Ruff Ride in 2026 and once again finished among the event's top individual fundraisers. She also participated in the NYC Ruff Ride, extending her support beyond Philadelphia. And her volunteer work with Team Foster isn't limited to cycling. Dana has also volunteered at the Foster100, directing cyclists along the course and helping staff aid stations.
Her determination to keep going is fitting for someone whose life outside the office includes hiking and exploring the outdoors. Dana, a CPA and Director of Accounting at PRG Real Estate, has been with the company since 2012. Yet when it comes to Team Foster, her professional accomplishments take a back seat to something much simpler: using what she has—her time, physical ability and determination—to help someone else. And she's not finished. Dana is already planning another solo 24-hour Ruff Ride in 2027. Training will begin in January and require hundreds of hours in the saddle.
Riding for the Real Heroes
Despite the extraordinary endurance her efforts require, Dana doesn't consider herself the hero in this story. To her, that distinction belongs to the veterans who sacrificed through their service. She simply considers herself fortunate to be able to support an organization helping ensure those veterans don't have to navigate life's challenges alone.
That perspective is perhaps what makes Dana's story so powerful. She isn't riding for a medal or a personal record. She's riding so another veteran might receive the service dog that helps restore independence, connection and hope. Twenty-four hours is a long time to pedal a bike. But for Dana, when every mile has a purpose, it's worth the ride.
About Dana
Dana Dobrowolski is Director of Accounting at PRG Real Estate and a dedicated supporter of Team Foster, an organization that helps provide trained service dogs to veterans with disabilities. Since 2022, Dana has supported the organization through fundraising, volunteering and the PHL Ruff Ride, including completing the entire 24-hour cycling challenge solo in 2025. She continues to turn her passion for endurance cycling into an opportunity to raise awareness and support for veterans and their families.
Grace Hill’s Impact Hero Awards Program recognizes individuals who go above and beyond to help others and make a difference in their local community. Learn more.
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