Mike Peters is known primarily as lead singer and songwriter of internationally acclaimed Welsh rock and roll band, The Alarm. He is also a cancer survivor two times over. Mike has successfully fought The Big C on two occasions; once in 1995 when he battled Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and more recently in 2006 when he was diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocyte Leukemia (CLL). Throughout a six month spell of high dose chemotherapy, Mike Peters continued to play and perform with his band The Alarm, taking to the stage each time in his trademark ‘green’ combat fatigues (which became his health talisman after a faith healer gave him the revelation that ‘green’ was the healing color in his life). Mike Peters subsequently led The Alarm back into the U.K. Top 30 in February, with the stomping ‘Superchannel’ and orchestrated the international release of ‘Under Attack’ (The Alarm’s most recent album), to worldwide critical acclaim.

“Mike Peters – On the Road to Recovery”, a revealing BBC documentary chronicling Mike’s inspiring story, was screened in October 2006. The cameras were allowed into the treatment and dressing rooms of Mike’s life throughout the last six months of his cancer fight. The filming also included Mike and his wife Jules in their successful struggle to conceive a child through IVF. Evan Michael Peters was born January 1, 2007.

Mike Peters formed The Alarm in Rhyl, North Wales, in 1981 and has led the band to hit records in each of the three decades since: 16 UK hit singles (68 Guns, Where Were You Hiding When The Storm Broke, Spirit Of ‘76, Rain In The Summertime, 45 R.P.M. etc.), and a host of successful albums with over 5 million sales worldwide. Mike Peters has appeared with or been joined on stage by such rock and roll luminaries as U2, Bob Dylan and Neil Young.

.

ATTENTION DONORS

• All UK trekkers who receive donations through the UK weblink will be in partnership with Love Hope Strength Foundation UK. Donations will benefit the UK charity and will be donated on behalf of the UK trekkers to the nominated cancer projects in East Africa.

• All UK trekkers who receive donations through the US weblink will be in partnership with Love Hope Strength Foundation US. Donations will be tax deductible in the US and will be donated on behalf of the UK trekkers to the nominated cancer projects in East Africa

One of the definitive moments in my life recently was my brother’s passing, at age 32, from brain cancer. Kevin was an amazing man who faced incredible challenges throughout his life. Months after being diagnosed with brain cancer, Kevin and I began training for the LA Marathon and helped raise money and awareness for the UCLA neuro surgery department, giving back to those who helped save his life. I was lucky enough to run side by side with him the entire way and watch as he completed the LA Marathon, an unheard feat. Years later, I wasn’t surprised when Kevin told me he got accepted and would be hiking Mount Kilimanjaro with Love Hope Strength.

Sadly, Kevin didn’t make it to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro. But throughout his whole journey, Kevin taught me one of the most important values, fearlessness. No matter what he was doing, whether performing a song, running a marathon or undergoing brain surgery, Kevin was fearless.

This fearlessness helped me change my path. After graduating from the University of California, Santa Barbara in Film and Media Studies and working at DreamWorks Animation, I have jumped in feet first to pursue my true calling – nursing. I am studying diligently to reach this goal. I look forward to working alongside the professionals that were heroes to Kevin and my family.

It is apparent that Kevin hiked the most challenging mountains of life, and well, I am lucky enough to carry his torch to the top of Mount Fuji.

As Kevin said in his song, Intentions: When it is over, the fight is hardly over!

Upon completion of University in the US I joined the Peace Crops and found myself in a small village in Eastern Zambia working with a community doing whatever I could to improve peoples lives. After two years with Peace Corps I joined the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and over the coarse of more then 11 years have been able to live in Zambia, DR Congo, Tanzania, Banda Aceh, Indonesia, Rome, Italy, and Bangkok, Thailand while working with WFP. My work has also taken me to many other countries in Africa and Asia.

What is WFP and what do I do for them? Basically WFP is the largest Humanitarian organization in the world proving people food, who for what ever reason, can not feed themselves. We provide life sustaining food during times of natural disaster, political conflict, or simply when people are to poor to afford their own food. I work in the Disaster Preparedness and Response branch and thus jokingly refer to myself as a disaster chaser.

The job has taken me to so many great place and yet you end seeing people at their worst, when they are destitute. But knowing that something you do makes someone else’s life better is a gift. There are a few jobs/livelihoods in this world in which someone has the ability to touch someone else; teaching, being an artists, and working in the humanitarian field are a few examples.

After all these years with WFP someone recently excused me of being idealistic about the work. After thinking about that for a few seconds I realized that yes I am idealist, and I hope I never lose that. Doing work like helping others with something as basic as eating, is the job I always wanted to do but didn’t know it.

I join this trek from the perspective of hating to see others suffer or not have opportunity. Yes I have had friends and family die and be sick from cancer and doing anything to help bring awareness to an issue that kills and causes pain is an issue I would like to be involved with.

Glenn is the frontman of Squeeze, the band he formed with his songwriting partner Chris Difford in the summer of 1973. In a career that tasted early critical and commercial fame in the U.K. and U.S. with albums such as ‘Cool for Cats’ ‘Argy Bargy’ and ‘East Side Story’, the band were loved and respected for their strand of timeless, literate pop music. , They broke up in 1982 needing a very big rest only to reform 3 years later. 1987 saw the release of their largest selling album in the U.S., ‘Babylon and on’. From that point on, Squeeze made albums that artistically got better, (’Frank’, ‘Play’ and ‘Some Fantastic Place’) but commercially fared worse. Time, (and the promotional budgets of the major labels) was not on their side. Squeeze disintegrated into a star trek like pile of minerals and salt in 1998. Since then Glenn Tilbrook has been touring extensively in the UK, America, Australia and Japan as a solo artist, and in the U.K. and U.S. with his band The Fluffers. 2001 saw the release of his first solo album, The Incomplete Glenn Tilbrook, 2004 his 2nd, Transatlantic Ping Pong, both critically acclaimed. In 2006 came the release of Amy Pickards feature length documentary Glenn Tilbrook: One For The Road about life as a touring musician on the road in the US. 2009 saw the release of Glenn’s first full album with his band The Fluffers ‘Pandemonium Ensues’. Glenn and the Fluffers have been touring extensively across the globe to promote this well received gem.
In a strange twist of fate April 2007 saw the start of a re-release campaign by Universal and Warners of the entire Squeeze back catalogue. These releases are something that Chris and Glenn are very proud of and so in tribute to themselves they decided to reform Squeeze. Their eight years away was enough to elevate their status from quite good to legendary and in July and August 2007 they played a sold out tour of the U.S. Sold out shows followed in the UK at the end of the same year. 2009 sees Squeeze still together and occasionally going on the road to perform to continued sold out excited audiences. After Glenn’s trip with LHS to Kilimanjaro he will be back on the road to continue supporting his most recent solo release, ‘Pandemonium Ensues’.

.

ATTENTION DONORS

• All UK trekkers who receive donations through the UK weblink will be in partnership with Love Hope Strength Foundation UK. Donations will benefit the UK charity and will be donated on behalf of the UK trekkers to the nominated cancer projects in East Africa.

• All UK trekkers who receive donations through the US weblink will be in partnership with Love Hope Strength Foundation US. Donations will be tax deductible in the US and will be donated on behalf of the UK trekkers to the nominated cancer projects in East Africa

Mrs. Tolchin heads a charitable foundation that helps support the American Cancer Society, Prevention First, The Foodbank of Monmouth & Ocean Counties, and The
Algonquin Arts Theater Organization.

Owner of The Mill in Spring Lake Heights, NJ, a 450 seat restaurant and banquet facility in central NJ which has been a Jersey Shore Landmark for over 70 years.

I was born and raised in the great state of New Jersey. I attended Fordham University in the Bronx, NY where I played football on an athletic scholarship and earned a BA in Sociology and Criminal Justice. After graduation I worked in county government and earned my MA in public administration. Currently, I work as a Client/Project Manager for an environmental engineering and consulting firm.

I have always been involved in sports and maintaining an active lifestyle. Some of my passions include watching and playing sports (I take men’s slow-pitch softball very seriously, some say too seriously) skiing in Colorado, traveling, golfing, learning and challenging myself, cooking and eating, movies, working out and of course enjoying the nightlife in the NJ /NYC area including the Jersey Shore.

My first experience with cancer came at an early age when my grandfather was diagnosed with lung cancer and unfortunately passed away before I was old enough to really know him. Throughout my life I have been surrounded by friends and acquaintances that were diagnosed with some form of cancer. Some survived and some did not. The fact that these people were similar to me and lived the same lifestyle caused me to realize that cancer can affect anybody at anytime.

I first discovered and got involved in the LHSF through a friend involved in the Empire Rocks! and Everest climb last year. Seeing the affect the experience had on the individual and the message the foundation is able to spread is truly amazing. I have traveled the US but never the world and I can’t think of a better time then now to start. “Carpe Diem”.

My name is ilan baril, and cancer has affected my life more than I tell most people. My mother, her mother and her grandmother are all breast cancer survivors. One of my childhood best friends is in remission from leukemia and one of my brother’s best friends, a strong as hell United States Marine of a scant 26 years old, was diagnosed and died of a particularly vicious form of leukemia in jus six weeks. Two dear friends, their mother and their father are currently surviving breast cancer, ovarian cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer and all of the accompanying complications.
I wanted to do something to try and push back this sky darkening spectre that loomed over my life, so, five years ago now, never having run a race longer than 10k, I signed up for the marathon training program with The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of America (Team in Training) to run the Chicago Marathon. I finished, if you’re wondering, but not quickly. The thing that kept me going was the reality that no matter how much I hurt running those miles, it was all better than chemo, or a spinal tap, or, well, any of it.
That race was a LONG time ago, and when Shannon asked me to come along on this trip to one of the most mythical places on the planet, the decision was an easy one, although she will tell you that my response time was a little slow…
As a part of Peru Rocks, I hope to gain not only the money, equipment and attention which will come from the group effort, but also, personally, I’d like to find a broader world view, a sense of personal accomplishment, good friendships and boat loads of pictures.
Thanks for reading, hope you’re doing well and that you can help the cause!

Paul was born and raised in the small town of Pleasantville, NY with his parents, Joan and Bob and his sisters Michelle and Laura. Paul attended the University of Richmond, where he ran track and field, was active in Phi Gamma Delta, and was named “Fun Man of the Year 1998-99”. “It’s true, I have a plaque on my wall at home actually” says Paul.

Not a fan of staying in once place too long, Paul has lived in Ireland (Galway), Boston, then decided to leave the cold winters behind and moved to the beach in Southern California. “My claim to fame is that I can sunburn faster than anyone else in So Cal” says Paul. He now lives with his wife Jana in Redondo Beach, CA.

Paul is 31 and after 7 years at AT&T managing the Los Angeles business sales team, has just started his own company. Paul is founder and President of Shamrock Consulting Group, a telecommunications and IT consulting firm based in Manhattan Beach, CA. He is having a great time and quick success with his new business.

Paul has lost several family members to cancer in the past few years, including his aunt to breast cancer and his grandfather and uncle to skin cancer. He also lost his best friend Sean to leukemia when he was in first grade, and this is something that he has never forgotten. In college another great friend Joe successfully battled an aggressive form of leukemia, and is a 13 year leukemia survivor. Paul is dedicating this trek to the memory of his lost friends and family and to Joe, who is the most positive (and fun!) person I have ever met and is a living embodiment of “’Love Hope Strength’” says Paul.

He heard about Peru Rocks from Mike Peters at several of his acoustic shows in California, and was inspired to join the fight for cancer. Paul remarks “This is raising money for an excellent cause, while having a once in a lifetime adventure with an amazing group of people. What I like is that I know the funds will go to the right place and have a chance to make a difference. Being able to hear Mike and the other musicians play on this trip is an experience that I will cherish forever. I am just floored that I can experience this once in a lifetime adventure while raising money for a tremendous cause.”

An avid adventurer, Paul enjoys traveling the globe, hiking the mountains of Southern California, running on the strand at the beach, biking, and a cold beer(s) with friends.

Heather Behringer, originally from Minnesota, grew up in Northern California. She moved to Dallas, Texas in 1986, where she currently resides today, and then went on to earn a bachelor of arts degree from The University of Texas at Austin. After earning her broker’s license, Heather worked in the commercial real estate business until she had her three children, Alexandra, 10, Jordan, 7 and JD, 7. Heather loves being a mom and that is her primary focus although she is still involved in commercial real estate in a limited capacity through Behringer Harvard Real Estate Investment firm.

Heather has two siblings, a sister Jaime, 31 and brother Brad, 27 with whom she is very close. Heather spends most of her time with her children and extended family.

Heather is involved in yoga, weight training, running and she has always had an interest in hiking. Heather has had many people in her life battle various types of cancer from lung cancer to leukemia, and she sees the inca trail as a good way of giving back to a worthy cause.