The Associated Press. October 28,2007 – KATMANDU, Nepal: A cancer awareness group and an international team of musicians returned from the Mount Everest area after performing what they said was the world’s highest concert on land an raising an estimated US$250,000 for a local cancer center hospital.
The “Everest Rock” concert organized by the U.S.-based Love Hope Strength Foundation was held Oct. 21 at 5,650 meters (18,540 feet) in the foothills of the world’s highest mountain. The group returned from the area on Saturday.
Six musicians from the U.S. and Britain performed at the half-our concert—cancer survivor Mike Peters of the British band The Alarm, Slim Jim Phantom of the Stray Cats, Cy Curnin and Jamie West of the Fixx, Glen Tillbrook of the Squeeze and Nick Harper.
“The foundation got a strong message across. By going to Everest it gave us a loud voice…to show people that cancer is not a death sentence like it was,” Peters, from North Wales, told the Associated Press on Sunday in the capital, Katmandu.
“It was a good day for the human race,” Peters said. “There is a lot of tragedy in the world and we were trying to do something positive.”
The group of more than 30 trekked to their performance site at Kalapathar hill, near the base camp used by mountaineers scaling Everest. Seven were cancer survivors.
Peters said the concert has already raised about US$250,000 form sponsors and some trekkers who paid to be a part of the mission.
More money is expected from selling songs on the Internet, a DVD and broadcasts of a video of the concert on television.
All the money is to go to buy equipment for the Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital near Katmandu, Peters said.
The group is also planning a free concert with local musicians.
