Paula KlipschPaula Klipsch is a two-time thyroid cancer survivor and is celebrating three years being cancer free since her second bout with the disease. At the age of 41, Paula was diagnosed with papillary carcinoma and it returned five years later. Being cancer free has made Paula appreciate everything that life has to offer.

“I will tell you that when you wake up every morning, the thought that my cancer can return is not far from my thoughts,” said Paula Klipsch, 24 Foundation Indianapolis rider and Team Klipsch member. “My faith has been an enormous comfort, but I also have a great support group around me so I’ve decided to channel a little of my anxiety into something positive by giving back to other cancer patients and their families.”

Paula is a member of the American Cancer Society’s Ladies Guilt (ACS) and chairman of the Discovery Ball for 2014, which is the ACS’s big, formal fundraiser. Last year Paula’s husband Mike got her involved with 24 Foundation for the first time. Mike had done the ride together with his coworkers at Klipsch Audio a couple of times and to Paula it sounded like an incredible amount of fun.

“The ride is a great way for me to pay it forward in some way to help someone else survive their cancer diagnosis,” Paula said. “Being a survivor and helping to raise money for cancer research is important at every level. I’m alive because of advanced research, in just five short years, that has been funded by events like [24 Foundation]. It also helps me to send a message to other to not give up hope. If I can beat cancer, so can you!”

To prepare for 24 Foundation, the coworkers at Klipsch Audio usually get together on nice sunny days during the warm months of the year and ride together. Many people at the office have become involved and participated in other charity rides together, such as Ride Across Indiana (RAIN). The cancer in some form has victimized many of the employees; fundraising for rides like 24 Foundation has become a “no brainer”.

“It makes me so proud to be a part of the Klipsch Audio family that feels the same way I do about cancer,” Paula said. “We hate it and want to raise money to someday defeat this disease so that no one else will ever lose another family member again.”

Paula is looking forward to seeing all the Klipsch Audio employees come together for another 24 Foundation as a family, not an office gathering, but for a long day and night of fun.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *