Recovering from lymphoma in 1996 and then being diagnosed with leukemia in 2005, he started the Love Hope Strength Foundation with Texas businessman and fellow cancer survivor James Chippendale. Peters and a caravan of his musician mates have raised money and awareness to fight cancer while climbing some of the world’s premier peaks. Scaling Mt. Everest and Mt. Kilimanjaro, he recently made his way up Mt. Fuji. Squeeze’s Glenn Tilbrook joined him on the Fuji trek and the two looked tan and rested a day after descending.

“Mt. Fuji was great,” Peters said. “Most of the summits we’ve done, getting there was the experience. Whereas this was getting there, then staying to experience the sunrise. As well as the joy of bagging a high peak, it was also to stay and experience a communal event. And the sun coming up–it was like New Years’ Eve.”

Before tackling the Great Outdoors, Peters and company set their sights on a more accessible landmark. In 2007, Love Hope Strength kicked off with a climb up the stairs of the Empire State Building.

“It wasn’t as tough as I thought it was gonna be. It took about an hour 50 minutes. Slim Jim Phantom [of the Stray Cats] was the first to the top. I don’t know what he does, or what his training regime is,” he said with a laugh. “You know, he smokes. He plays drums standing up which probably keeps him fit. The Empire State Building, that was our first event. It was typical Love Hope Strength in the way it happened, in the middle of ridiculous circumstances. It was the worst Northeaster storm to hit New York in a hundred years. They closed the airports; half the people [we were] expecting couldn’t make it.

“But, it was fantastic. We had Slim Jim, Dave Wakeling from The English Beat and Billy Duffy from The Cult. It was a great start.”

Since its inception, Love Hope Strength has gone global fighting cancer. The foundation purchased the first ever mammography machine for Nepal, funded the first children’s cancer center in Tanzania and helped open the new wing of a cancer center in Wales. Peters reflected on the genesis of it all.

“It started like all things do–with something dramatic,” he said. ” I was diagnosed with leukemia, and when I was going through all the treatments, I was still playing gigs in between chemotherapy. I got invited to play Joey Ramones’s memorial. He died of lymphoma, was a fan of The Alarm and used to come to my gigs. So it was even more important to me to go and support this guy who had lost his life.

“I wanted to play that gig, and go to Texas, and I couldn’t have insurance. So I found a guy, James Chippendale, who helped me while I was in America. I paid him a return compliment and he came to stay with me in Wales. We decided to start a charity, tell people our story, share the good news that we’d both lived through cancer, that we’re living in a modern era where people can overcome it if they act quickly and responsibly, that you could fight back.”

Tilbrook, who has joined past fundraising treks, recalls his reaction when Peters first proposed the idea to him. “Mike called up with this absolutely mad idea of going to Everest base camp,” he said. “I really like the idea of doing something that’s out of kilter with rock ‘n’ roll. Rock ‘n’ roll is about decadence and excess. It’s actually counterintuitive to go climbing, but it’s great; it’s inspirational. It’s also a metaphor for what Mike and everybody’s been through in their lives. And so that was me on board.”

After all this mountaineering, Peters says that the next excursion might be somewhat more pedestrian. “We’re planning some not-so-high adventures next year. As it’s getting bigger, more people want to come on the international treks. So we’re trying to broaden the horizon a bit. We thought of doing something in Hawaii. That’s more of a coastal walk–but it could be a great one.

“And then Siberia? It could be cold.”

Frank Spignese / Special to The Daily Yomiuri

Nor did she want to think about what would happen if she lost sight of the climber in front of her. She scurried to stay close, tired from the six hours of hiking, and laboring to breathe normally at 18,000 feet.

At that point, the videographer approached her. “Why are you here, why are you doing this?” he asked, pointing the camera in her face. “Because I can,” she said.

Kelly meant it literally. Diagnosed with colon cancer at age 28, she knew what it felt like to not be able to complete even ordinary tasks, let alone summit the highest peak in Africa. She’d spent the last six months undergoing two rounds of aggressive chemotherapy, fighting the disease that took her mother’s life in 2003.

Summiting Kilimanjaro had become a symbol of Kelly’s battle, a celebration of her life, and a way for her to give back by raising money so others could have the same quality of cancer care that had saved her life. The trek was a fundraiser for the rock n’ roll cancer charity, the Love Hope Strength Foundation. Two other cancer survivors, along with 15 people whose lives had been touched by cancer and seven musicians, made it to the summit with Kelly the next day.

Participants had paid their own airfare, covered $5,000 in ground costs, and raised a minimum of $9,000 for cancer care on top of that. The price was high, but the reward for Kelly’s time, money, and effort was the summit experience, with a private concert atop Kilimanjaro immediately following. The musicians included Robin Wilson from the Gin Blossoms and Slim Jim Phantom from The Stray Cats. They’d also raised the required $14,000 to cover their expenses and help build a children’s cancer care center in Tanzania.

The idea of bringing musicians and “cancer thrivers” together for peak bagging and private, mountain-top concerts is the brainchild of American James Chippendale, a leukemia survivor, and two-time cancer survivor Mike Peters, who’s also the lead singer and songwriter of the Welsh rock band, The Alarm. During his cancer recovery, Peters had a view of 3,560-foot Mount Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales, and staring at it from his bed, Peters promised himself that if he lived, he would climb it. Because he could. And, he would bring along the hospital staff that had saved him in appreciation of their care and expertise.

In 2007, Peters mentioned his idea to Chippendale, who suggested that if Peters really wanted to show the world what cancer survivors could do, he’d tackle Everest and then celebrate with a rock concert. The Love Hope Strength Foundation was born.

LHSF held its first climb and concert combo on a peak just beyond Everest Base Camp that same year. It was, at the time, the highest rock concert ever performed, earning a Guinness record to prove it. Then they headed down to Katmandu and held a free concert for 15,000 locals, opening up their celebration to the community. The “Everest Rocks” documentary is now airing on MTV’s High Def Channel, Palladia.

The money raised by that concert paid for the first mammography machine in Nepal, as well as the first internal radiation machine – a nucletron brachytherapy afterloader. Chippendale and Peters agreed early on that they didn’t want to use money raised by LHSF to fund cancer research. They contend that the technology to save lives exists right now, it’s just not available everywhere. LHSF’s mission is to build cancer centers and

deliver medical equipment and supplies to countries, towns, and cities where it’s lacking.

In the U.S., LHSF also utilizes existing cancer care technology in saving lives. The nonprofit focuses on building the bone marrow donor list by soliciting concert-goers at music festivals such as Lollapalooza nationwide, and at venues like Red Rocks Amphitheater in their home state of Colorado. Last year, LHSF had a presence at 101 shows, adding 4,000 donors to the bone marrow database.

Meanwhile, their international musical pilgrimages now include all seven continents and the top of the Empire State Building, the Inca ruins in Machu Picchu, Colorado’s Pikes Peak, Philadelphia Art Museum’s “Rocky Steps,” Mount Fuji, and, penned in for 2011, Siberia.

A Love Hope Strength Foundation concert in Kathmandu, Nepal

Executive Director Shannon Foley explains the thought behind the peak-bagging fundraisers, drawing on her own personal experience. Her brother is a cancer survivor, and her sister did the Livestrong Challenge as a result. “I wanted to do something, too, but I don’t like walk-a-thons, I’m not a cyclist, and I don’t do black tie dinners. When I found out about Love Hope Strength, something finally resonated with me – music and mountains. We were doing fundraisers that no one else did.”

Shannon also points out that organizations like the Susan G. Komen Foundation didn’t exist outside the United States when LHSF first started, creating a discrepancy between the United States and the rest of the world with regards to cancer care and awareness. “They weren’t wearing Livestrong bracelets in Katmandu,” she says.

LHSF strives to bridge that gap between cancer awareness in the U.S. and in other countries, from Peru to Wales to Tanzania. This means that for LHSF, it’s not about showing up with folks who’ve raised funds, going on a trek, holding a concert, and leaving. “We want to leave a mark,” Shannon says. “When we left Nepal, people were talking about cancer in a place where they don’t talk about it.” Though 90 percent of the organization’s work, including planning its international projects, is based in the United States, they hope to be doing bone marrow drives on all seven continents within the next five years.

LHSF’s ability to improve cancer care conditions and raise awareness both inside and outside the U.S. couldn’t have come at a better time. This year, cancer overtook heart disease as the leading cause of death. Worldwide, cancer causes more deaths than AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined. In most of the developing world, cancer is viewed as a death sentence. “But we’ve come so much further than that,” Shannon says. “Right now, we have the medical means to save tens of thousands of people all over the world. And we’re doing it – one concert, one cancer care center at a time.”

To view this blurb on antimusic.com click here!

Red Rocks, Kilimanjaro, Fuji… the Love Hope Strength foundation has hosted pilgrimages to all. The special nature of these events is in line with the foundation’s unique mission: instead of funding research, LHS seeks to aid those in need immediately, purchasing medical equipment and supplies, finding bone marrow donors, and raising awareness.

he combination of sacred places, beloved musicians, and a common enemy (that would be cancer) is a potent one. And a pilgrimage is happening right now—on Mt. Fuji.

For Peters, the choice of Mt. Fuji as a location for the Love Hope Strength foundation’s latest musical pilgrimage was an obvious one:

“The deep spiritual virtues of Mt. Fuji and the warm, wonderful Japanese culture provide an incredible setting for this journey. We are at once thankful to the Japanese people for welcoming us and excited to wave the prayer flags on peak in a tribute to the love, hope and strength we have for all those who must endure cancer in one form or another.”

On Tuesday, Peters and, among others, Squeeze’s Glenn Tillbrook, reached the summit. Yesterday morning, they celebrated the achievement with a performance that gives new meaning to the term ‘360′. The following photos were taken as the guitars were broken out at 4AM—dawn on the mountain. For a detailed recap of the summit-top show, click here. For an overview of the entire event, click here. And to donate money, click here.

The following and above photos are all courtesy of Love Hope Strength.

For the complet article on Blender.com click here!!!

To view this article on Blender.com, click here.

Frankenreiter documented the entire tour in a video blog segment he called the Mustache Manifesto, which all live on his website HERE. In addition to daily manifestos, Frankenreiter held a surf camp in Asbury Park, NJ for members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Monmouth County that was filmed by the Asbury Park Press HERE. He also met up with the Immaculate Infatuation crew in Montauk and spent a day surfing and learning how to make fish tacos with Top Chef alum and Surf Lodge executive chef Sam Talbot.

“Glow,” the title track and first single off the new album, is off to a fast start at radio. It’s getting a great reaction and a plethora of Triple A stations have been spinning the record early, including KTVZ/Minneapolis, WCOO/Charleston, WXPK/White Plains, KRPI/San Diego, KBCO/Denver and WXPN/Philadelphia among others. “Glow” is positive and uplifting. Riding a sweet, syncopated acoustic strum, the song swells into a beautiful chorus as Frankenreiter sings, “I want to see you glow/I want to see your daylight shining all around your heart.”

When Donavon Frankenreiter was 10 years old, he got his first surfboard. Six years later, he picked up his first guitar. It was the beginning of a wildly creative journey: His improvisational twin obsessions have carried him around the globe and into his fans’ hearts. As Frankenreiter prepares to release his fourth album, Glow, this fall, the 37-year-old singer/songwriter/pro surfer admits he still thrives on simply taking the plunge. “We don’t have a set show, if we did, I would go crazy,” he says. “You never know what’s going to happen. I love that element of surprise with music and surfing — you never catch the same wave twice.”

When good pal Jack Johnson was starting up Brushfire Records, he offered Frankenreiter a shot, producing his first album of folk songs — including the hit “Free” — along with famed Beastie Boys collaborator Mario Caldato, Jr. Frankenreiter followed his 2004 self-titled debut with a full-band record, 2006’s Move by Yourself (Lost Highway), where he plugged in and chronicled his life on the road. Joe Chiccarelli (The White Stripes, My Morning Jacket) produced 2008 disc Pass It Around, which featured guests Ben Harper and G. Love, and marked a major musical turning point for Frankenreiter: “The first time I started working with other writers.” He kept up the spirit of collaboration on 2010’s Revisited, a track-by-track reinterpretation of his debut disc through a Hawaiian lens. After relocating to Kauai fulltime with his wife and sons Ozzy and Hendrix three years ago, Frankenreiter became enamored with the sounds of the islands. “It started off with ukulele and my voice and [guitarist] Kirk Smart added slack key guitar, lap steel, and everything else, and it just kind of grew from there,” he says. “It’s really neat to hear an alternative version of what happened seven years ago.”

Revisited proved a fascinating challenge, but Frankenreiter hasn’t spent the last year focused on the past. And as soon as he got into a room with producer Mark Weinberg, he knew he’d found the perfect partner for Glow. “I wrote ‘Keeping Me Away From You’ with Mark the first time I ever met him in 30 minutes,” Frankenreiter says of the warm, wistful mid-tempo track. “He looked at me and went, ‘Wow, that was quick.’ I asked, ‘Does that normally happen?’ ” They recorded the entire album over three days at California’s Pulse Studios, utilizing a band of crack players to amp up the original acoustic arrangements into gorgeously polished chill-out rock with U2-esque guitar flourishes (”Shadows”), lush strings (”Keeping Me Away From You”), and bluesy organ wails (”Hold On”).

In true Donavon Frankenreiter fashion, there’s little room for stress on Glow. The album’s 10 tracks are the perfect antidote to trying times: warm, organic, and overwhelmingly hopeful. And Frankenreiter is ready to bring the new tracks to his international fanbase as he continues to crisscross the globe on more surfing and musical adventures. “If there’s anything I learned, it’s that you really gotta be yourself,” he says, reflecting on his career. “You can’t fool people in music if you want to stick around for a long time.”

To view this article on online at Music Remedy click here!

The Alarm frontman will be joined by a host of musicians, including Donavon Frankenreiter, Matt Grundy, Glenn Tilbrook of Squeeze and Australian rocker Brien McVernon, on his trip to Japan.

It’s his latest fundraising venture, Mount Fuji Rocks, which sees him combine hiking with music, for his Love Hope Strength (LHS) foundation, which supports cancer sufferers around the globe.

Peters, who has twice battled cancer himself, will be leading a group of 30 cancer survivors and supporters from four continents to the summit of Mount Fuji.

The journey, taking place from today until August 29, will raise money and support for the international bone marrow donor registry and LHS’s efforts to help people everywhere – regardless of economic status or location – gain access to life-saving treatments.

The trekkers will begin at The Fuji Sengen Shrine, where the pilgrims of more than 500 years ago came to pray before they started their climb up the sacred mountain.

After a two-day journey on foot, the hike will culminate with a musical ceremony at the summit. The trek will be followed by a voyage to Fuji Yoshida for the Fire Festival or Yoshida no Himatsuri, an annual festival held to appease the Goddess of Mount Fuji and mark the end of the hiking season.

The Mount Fuji trek is the 10th musical voyage Peters has led.

His previous musical pilgrimages include Mount Everest in Nepal, the highest concert performed on land; Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa; Machu Picchu in Peru; the Empire State Building in New York and Pikes Peak in America.

Two weeks ago, the father-of-two performed another concert at Mount Snowdon, which is near his North Wales home.

Last weekend he was in South Wales for Rhondda Rocks, which saw those taking part trek through Dare Valley Country Park before a gig at Muni Arts Centre in Pontypridd for which Peters was joined by Ocean Colour Scene frontman Simon Fowler.

“Cancer is now the world’s leading cause of death,” says Peters. “This event, like others before, will drum up funds to fight the disease with something tangible and hopefully produce inspiration to many people touched by cancer. The deep spiritual virtues of Mount Fuji and the warm, wonderful Japanese culture provide an incredible setting for this journey.

“We are at once thankful to the Japanese people for welcoming us and excited to wave the prayer flags on peak in a tribute to the love, hope and strength we have for all those who must endure cancer in one form or another.”

The Japan visit is Tilbrook’s third trek with LHS.

“Like many, I have had people close to me suffer from cancer and LHS are using vision and imagination to do some amazing things,” he says. “I have been lucky enough to experience the warmth and generosity of the Japanese people and feel sure they will join me in my admiration and support of LHS.”

The Mount Fuji Rocks experience will be documented by director/producer Alex Coletti.

Also joining the crew will be James Chippendale, cancer survivor and co-founder of LHS.

He says: “Everyone coming with us to Japan this year understands that music is a hugely powerful vehicle for change. In under two years, we have brought bone marrow donor registry programs to concerts in the US and started the first saliva based testing in the UK.

“The results are tangible, with over 7,000 new people signed on and 35 potentially life-saving matches found already. I am living proof that bone marrow donation can save a life and it’s my hope that through events like this we can accelerate these life-giving programs.”

To support Mount Fuji Rocks or future LHS initiatives visit www.lovehopestrength.org

To view this article online at Wales Online click here.

This Tuesday, they are launching the Nashville division of Love, Hope, Strength, at Mercy Lounge. The concert is free and open to the public. The night will include seven bands and DJ Fat Andy. The show starts at 7:30 pm.

Bands include anywhere from Alt Country to Pop Rock to Ska to well, you have to see it to believe it. Featured bands are Tommy Ache and The Terrible Mistakes, Auggie Stardust and The Rebound Girlfriends, Chip Greene, Stephen Simmons, Tommy Womack and The Rush To Judgment, Daniel Walker and The Beat Officers.

To make the event even better, Amber LMT will be onsite with her massage chair. She is offering a free massage to anyone who donates or gets on the National Bone Marrow donor list. A free massage and the opportunity to help save lives along with great music are all at Mercy Lounge.

Love, Hope, Strength Foundation is an international music-centric cancer charity dedicated to providing support for cancer centers and inspiration to those affected throughout the world.

Mike Peters of the rock band The Alarm created Love, Hope, Strength in 2007. He is a two-time cancer survivor and survived thanks to Western medicine. Originally created to bring cancer treatment to people not privy to the same treatments as Americans, Love, Hope, Strength has expanded to help save many lives.

Using his position in the world as a musician and as a voice, along with the President of CSI Entertainment James Chippendale, started the Love, Hope, Strength Foundation. Love Hope Strength comes from a song by The Alarm called Strength. Give me love, give me strength, give me something to hold on to.

The foundation, including Peters, Slim Jim Phantom from The Stray Kats, Glen Tilbrook from Squeeze, Cy Curnin and Jamie West-Oram of The Fixx, along with other ‘trekkers’ and cancer survivors, climbed Mount Everest and performed the ‘World’s Highest Concert’ according to the Guinness Book of World Records. It was a 14-day trek to reach the top. Money raised from that show went to provide the country of Nepal with their first Mammography machine.

The documentary on Everest Rocks airs on the satellite music channel Palladia occasionally.

The American-base in Denver, Colorado, focuses on getting Americans to sign up on the National donor list to be a bone marrow donor. That is where Rob Rushing comes in to the picture.

Rushing, a long-time fan of The Alarm, saw what Peters was doing with the charity. After watching the documentary about Mount Everest, he knew he had to be involved. He went online to www.lovehopestrength.org for more information.

“The American base is in Denver, CO, so I contacted the Denver people through the website www.lovehopestrength.org and asked what I could do in Nashville. They told me they did not have funds, it was very limited and they were trying to get it going. I said I did not ask for money, I ask what I could do and they told me to fly. They do many large music festivals throughout the country and Bonnaroo was coming up. They were going to be at Bonnaroo and so I volunteered to be at Bonnaroo so I could trial by fire, and literally fire because it was the hottest five days of my life, I had a mini heat stroke while I was there and kept going the whole time. On the last day, my buddy Matt helped us as well. It showed us what they are all about,” said Rushing.

The goal in America is not necessarily to raise money, but to raise awareness and save lives.

“What we do in America mainly, because Americans have cancer treatment and can get treatment, but the problem is not enough Americans are on the National Bone Marrow list. So we concentrate on getting people on the National Bone Marrow list by going to concerts and other non-traditional events that nobody was going to, If you get on the Bone Marrow list at 20, 21, 22 years old, you have a much better chance of saving someone’s life than someone does at 40 or 50. You cannot sign up after 65. When you sign up, you are on the list until you turn 65. No one in America was targeting the younger crowd to get on the list, luckily through our partners DKMS of New York, a lab; they allow us to get people on the list free of charge. If you sign up independently, there is a $65 lab fee.”

Signing up on the National Bone Marrow list is painless. You fill out some paperwork and have a cheek swab taken. On top of that, at this Tuesday’s launch party, you can get a free massage just for signing up.

Rushing states, “Bringing it to Nashville is my passion. We have a great group of volunteers already. We have done two events. We started with a small event, myself, Matthew Gray and Penny Tyler. We worked a concert at Exit/In called Real Big Fish and The Beat Officers. We signed up 45 people at our first event.”

“The biggest thing to me is that Nashville is Music City and is my home, my love. How could this charity not be involved in Music City USA? They started in Denver and really do a lot.”

Is it painful? That is the most common question asked at the events.

“It used to be incredibly painful, but medical advancements have continued day by day, now 85% of the people, it is almost identical to donating plasma. From what I am told, I am on the list. 15% they still have to drill in the hip, you can never save a life if you don’t get on the list,” says Rushing. “We take a cheek swab, if your cheek cells match up with someone in need of bone marrow; they contact you and ask you to go to a lab. That lab will take a little blood and make sure you are a real match. Bone marrow has to match exactly or it will not work. If you a continual match, they will go forward and you still have to volunteer, you will not be forced to do anything. Saving a life would be worth a little bit of pain.”

Thirty-four matches were made since 2007 within the United states. That is quite possibly 34 lives saved. Annually, thousands of people are in need of bone marrow. A bone marrow transplant may be their only chance at survival. With the medical advancements, the process can be as easy as giving blood or plasma. People ‘sell’ blood and plasma all the time, why not donate needed bone marrow and save a life.

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death and touches just about everyone. Would you be willing to donate bone marrow to a complete stranger to save their life? If a stranger could save your loved ones life by donating, would you do the same? Only 30% of people can find a perfect match within their family. Therefore, the love of the people who sign up on the list can save lives. If you do not get on the list, you will never know if you can be someone’s hero.

“Our main group will be trekking on Mt Fuji on the same day as the concert. Nashville needs to be involved in this and it is going to grow exponentially I do believe. We’re all going to save some lives, that is what I am doing it for,” says Rushing. “It was born from my love of a rock n roll band when I was 14 yrs old and what Mike Peters is doing for the world. Our national director Shannon Foley, she goes out of her way to save lives everyday. The charity has been in existence for three years and has saved many lives. They have the volunteer list I am lucky enough to be on of the first 10 Rock Stars (Volunteers) on the site. I am just trying to do my part.”

Bottom line: We are saving lives through music.

Click her to view the article online at Strum Magazine.com

A collaboration of all -star musicians from around the globe are banding together for an epic musical pilgrimage to the summit of Mt. Fuji in conjunction with the Love Hope Strength (LHS) foundation, the world’s largest rock n’ roll cancer charity. 

Leading a group of thirty cancer survivors and supporters from four continents will be Mike Peters, front man for popular Welsh band, The Alarm, Glenn Tilbrook, lead singer of internationally renowned band, Squeeze, wildly popular American pro surfer and singer-songwriter Donavon Frankenreiter and his band mate Matt Grundy, and Brien McVernon, lead singer of the Retro Rockets, a favorite in their native Australia.

The journey, taking place August 21 ‘ 29, will raise money and support for the international bone marrow donor registry and LHS’s efforts to help people everywhere ‘ regardless of economic status or location ‘ gain access to life saving treatments. The trekkers will begin at The Fuji Sengen Shrine, where the pilgrims of over 500 years ago came to pray before they started their climb up the sacred mountain. After a two-day journey on foot, the hike will culminate with a musical ceremony at the summit. The trek will be followed by a voyage to Fuji Yoshida for the Fire Festival or ‘Yoshida no Himatsuri,’ an annual festival held to appease the Goddess of Mt. Fuji and mark the end of the hiking season. To learn more about the details of the Mt. Fuji voyage, click here .

For LHS, this concert marks the fourth year in a row it has brought together musicians from all walks of life to hike a global landmark as inspiration to those affected by cancer and to help those in need. Previous musical pilgrimages include Mt. Everest in Nepal, the highest concert performed on land, Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa, Machu Picchu in Peru, Mt. Snowdon in the U.K., the Empire State Building and for the previous two years, Pikes Peak in America. Each of the thirty hikers have made a commitment to raise money for the foundation’s cause, and LHS expects to raise additional funds via its website and mobile giving. 

For Mike Peters, a two-time cancer survivor and LHS co-founder, this journey will be his third in the last month and the tenth musical voyage he has led. Peters recently raised money for Welsh cancer centers by leading the fourth annual hike of Mt. Snowdon in the U.K and a special hike and concert in the Rhondda Valley in mid-August. Also making a repeat performance to show solidarity in the fight against cancer are Glenn Tilbrook and Brien McVernon. The Squeeze front man has journeyed with LHS to Mt. Everest and Mt. Kilimanjaro while McVernon has been to three of four annual pilgrimages. 

‘Cancer is now the world’s leading cause of death. This event, like others before, will drum up funds to fight the disease with something tangible and hopefully produce inspiration to many people touched by cancer,’ said Mike Peters. ‘The deep spiritual virtues of Mt. Fuji and the warm, wonderful Japanese culture provide an incredible setting for this journey. We are at once thankful to the Japanese people for welcoming us and excited to wave the prayer flags on peak in a tribute to the love, hope and strength we have for all those who must endure cancer in one form or another.’

“Every one on earth has been affected by cancer in one way or another so it’s an honor to be part of a cause that is doing something very tangible to fight this disease. I’m really excited to hike and play music and in the process help bring awareness to everyone about the importance of bone marrow donation” said Donavon Frankenreiter.

‘ am very proud to be involved in my 3rd trek. Like many, I have had people close to me suffer from cancer and LHS are using vision and imagination to do some amazing things. I have been lucky enough to experience the warmth and generosity of the Japenese people and feel sure they will join me in my admiration and support of LHS’ said Glenn Tilbrook

Those wishing to support Mt. Fuji Rocks or future LHS initiatives can sign a prayer flag, shop for goods or make a donation at www.lovehopestrength.org. In addition, those in the US wishing to donate can text the word LOVE to 50555 to make a $5 contribution.

To view this article on Music-News.com, click here

The upcoming journey, Aug. 21-29, is the third Peters has done during the past month and the tenth musical adventure he has led. As a two-time cancer survivor and cofounder of the Love Hope Strength foundation, Peters recently raised money for Welsh cancer centers when he led the fourth annual hike up Mt. Snowdon in the U.K. and a hike and concert in Wales’ Rhondda Valley.

As with past adventures, Peters will be joined by other artists, including Glenn Tilbrook of Squeeze, singer / songwriter / surfer Donavon Frankenreiter along with band mate Matt Grundy and Brien McVernon, lead singer for Australia band Retro Rockets.

Intended to raise money and support for the international bone marrow donor registry as well as Love Hope Strength’s efforts to help people the world over, the expedition begins Aug. 21 at the Fuji Sengen Shrine, where climbers have gathered for more than 500 years to pray and meditate before beginning their assault on Japan’s tallest mountain.

The concert marks the fourth year LHS has gathered musicians to climb in the name of cancer awareness, the international bone marrow registry and other efforts to help people. Past expeditions include Mt. Everest, Mt. Kilimanjaro and Peru’s Machu Picchu.

For more information, click here for the Love Hope Strength website.

The actual climb is expected to take two days, after which the musicians will hold a musical ceremony at the summit. Following the climb, Peters and his party of adventurers will travel to Fuji Yoshida for the Fire Festival – Yoshida no Himatsuri – an annual event held to appease the Goddess of Mount Fuji as well as signal the end of the hiking season.

The concert marks the fourth year LHS has gathered musicians to climb in the name of cancer awareness, the international bone marrow registry and other efforts to help people. Past expeditions include Mt. Everest, Mt. Kilimanjaro and Peru’s Machu Picchu.

For more information, click here for the Love Hope Strength website.

–Jay Smith

For the complete article on Pollstar, click here: http://pollstar.net/blogs/news/archive/2010/08/19/736808.aspx?id=