Live from Machu Picchu … with a message One cancer center in every country, one concert at a time Joshua Wolpe Thursday, October 2, 2008
SURVIVORS — Love Hope Strength Foundation co-founders and cancer survivors James Chippendale (left) and Mike Peters (right) pose with Foundation Executive Director Shannon Foley at Dwarika’s Hotel in Kathmandu, Nepal. Photo by Jake Norton, MountainWorld P

Some survivors go to celebrate remission. Some go to mourn a loved one. Some go for support. But all who go will be climbing, singing and dancing for the same cause — raising global awareness for a disease that knows no borders, limits, races or ethnicities — cancer.

The Love Hope Strength Foundation (LHSF) is an international, music-centric charity dedicated to providing support for cancer centers and inspiration to those affected throughout the world. LHSF is headquartered in Denver and has chapters in Dallas, London and Sydney, Australia. LHSF was founded by leukemia survivors Mike Peters of the Welsh rock band The Alarm and President of CSI Entertainment James Chippendale early last year and has organized concerts on five continents.

Peru Rocks

Team LHSF is gearing up for “Peru Rocks,” a 10-day musical journey taking place Oct. 8-17 in multiple locations throughout Peru. A total of 63 people from five continents (including 16 from Colorado) will be making the trip to Peru. Musicians from Fastball and The Fixx will join Nick Harper, a folk singer from the U.K., director and producer Alex Colletti, LHSF co-founders Peters and Chippendale and numerous cancer survivors and supporters devoted to the cause.

“We are bringing on more musicians, cancer survivors and supporters to join us for Peru Rocks to help make this global event not only more far-reaching, but also to help raise the funds necessary to provide cancer screening and treatment equipment needs to the people of Peru,” said Chippendale.

“Peru Rocks” begins with a visit to the country’s largest cancer care center in Lima where the team will meet the cancer patients their journey will support. They will then head to Cusco for a four-day, 30-mile hike up the Inca Trail to the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu in the Andes Mountains. The musicians will perform in small villages and town centers each night, with a celebration atop the mystical eighth wonder of the world. The adventure concludes with a benefit concert on Peru’s Green Coast overlooking the city of Lima.

Filming this blend of inspiration, music and altitude is director/producer Alex Colletti (creator of MTV’s Unplugged), who premiered LHSF’s first documentary, “Everest Rocks,” on MTV’s HD channel, Palladia, in September 2008.

Past events

The Peru trek is the latest charity climb and concert in the “Rocks” line-up in just over a year. There was “Empire Rocks” on the top of the Empire State Building, “Snowdon Rocks” at the summit of Mount Snowdon and most recently “Everest Rocks,” where LHSF broke the record for highest concert ever performed at the base camp of Mount Everest.

Inspirational stories

Many inspirational stories come out of a mission like this one. Tracy Callahan, from Philadelphia, was given five years to live after being diagnosed with stage four colon cancer. This October she will be celebrating five years of remission alongside many other survivors with similar stories. Other trekkers are going on the journey to honor those that lost their battle with cancer. Lee Williams and his family will be going to celebrate the life of Otto Schutt, co-founder of the Burning Man Festival, and the inspiration behind the online video portal, www.givethanks.tv. Schutt, who died in May at age 40, was planning on taking the trip to Peru, and now his friends and family are going in his place to spread his ashes among the Andes Mountains.

There is also the story of Boulder’s own Shawn Swarner, the first cancer survivor to summit Mount Everest. That, however, was only one of his global climbing conquests. Swarner has conquered the “seven summits,” the highest mountains on the seven continents. If that did not get your attention, maybe this will. He did it all after losing one lung, the result of his bout with cancer. Swarner is the only person in the world to be diagnosed with both Hodgkin’s Disease and Askin’s Sarcoma and was given three months to live at the age of 13. After overcoming that diagnosis, he was stricken a second time when a golf ball-sized tumor attacked his right lung. After the lung was removed, he was given two weeks to live. Swarner, now 34 years old, continues to persevere and inspire, especially during his Everest ascent.

Dare to dream

“The human can accomplish anything the mind can dream, and climbing Everest remained my dream,” he said. 

LHSF has established an interactive trekker journal, www.perurocks.org, as a way for cancer supporters around the world to keep involved. Podcasts will be available each day on the site as well as iTunes. All proceeds from the endeavor will provide much needed equipment to Peru’s National Institute of Neoplastic Disease. Last year, LHSF raised money and awareness for the people of Nepal and purchased the country’s first mammography and internal radiation machines. This year, in addition to providing equipment, LHSF will use the money to establish a chapter in Peru that will initiate ongoing national awareness and cancer care campaigns.

For more information on how to contribute to LHSF, visit www.lovehopestrength.org

The Susan G. Komen Denver Race for the Cure 2008 will be held at Pepsi Center Sunday. Visit www.komendenver.org for information to register and/or make a donation.

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