Everest Rocks

Love Hope Strength Foundation Holds
First-Ever Rock Concert on Mount Everest

The Alarm's Mike Peters, Stray Cats' Slim Jim Phantom, Squeeze's Glenn Tilbrook, Nick Harper, The Fixx's Cy Curnin and Jamie West-Oram
Make Climb for Cancer Research

Denver, CO - September 1, 2007 - On October 13th, forty legendary musicians, mountaineers, artists, cancer survivors and supporters will embark on the most momentous climb of their lives - "Everest Rocks" - a fourteen-day trek up Mount Everest, culminating with the first-ever concert at Base Camp. The climb was designed to bring awareness to and raise money for the Love Hope Strength Foundation (LHSF), founded by two-time cancer survivor and rock icon, Mike Peters of the UK band "The Alarm" and fellow cancer survivor James Chippendale, president of CSI Entertainment, one of the country's largest entertainment and sports insurance brokers.

Joining Peters and Chippendale on the 18,000 foot climb will be musical legends Slim Jim Phantom of the Stray Cats, Squeeze's Glenn Tilbrook, Nick Harper, The Fixx's Cy Curnin and The Fixx's Jamie West-Oram. Following long, strenuous hikes each day, the musicians will create acoustic recordings that will be fed directly to iTunes from the mountain. Once reaching Base Camp on October 23, they will perform together - a Mount Everest first - and will then hike four days down the mountain to play a finale concert in Kathmandu on October 29. Each day, people all over the world will be able to watch and listen to video, live recordings, photos and read a daily blog, and even send text messages to the rockers via www.lovehopestrength.org.

All funds raised through iTunes will go to the Love Hope Strength Foundation, and more specifically, the funds raised from this climb will benefit the Nepal Cancer Relief Society - allowing the local Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital to build the infrastructure of its clinic. In a country where the average annual income is $300 a year, the Love Hope Strength Foundation's donation and support will go a long way to save lives.

LHSF co-founder Mike Peters was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 1995. The cancer returned in 2006 when he was diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocyte Leukemia. He continued to tour with The Alarm while undergoing treatment, and was most recently on tour with them this summer. "I have been keeping busy this summer touring with the band and promoting the Foundation but I have stayed focused on gearing up for Everest. It's not going to be easy getting to base camp," says Peters. "But, when I was going through chemo, I promised myself that when I got healthy I would climb a mountain every year to celebrate life. This year I will make the trek to Everest with my friends, family and fellow survivors. Next to beating cancer, this will be one of the most challenging physical accomplishments of my life."

The entire "Everest Rocks" journey will be captured for a documentary being directed by MTV's Alex Coletti, producer and creator of MTV's "Unplugged," and produced by Brian Isley. The taping will include the training, kickoff events, trek, base camp acoustic set and rock show in Kathmandu.

Peters and Chippendale founded LHSF in January 2007. "Mike and I feel passionately about getting as many of our friends in our industry involved in our efforts as possible," said Chippendale. "Our close connections with musicians worldwide allow us to create innovative, music-related outreach and awareness programs for people around the world who don't have the same resources we did during our battle with cancer." Chippendale was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of leukemia in 2000 and was given 50-percent chance of survival.

EVEREST ROCKS SCHEDULE

October 1: Arrive in Kathmandu

October 13: Begin 10-day Climb to Base Camp on Mount Everest

October 13 - 22: Daily videos, live recordings, photos and a daily blog posted on www.lovehopestrength.com
Daily podcasts and acoustic recordings available to download on iTunes

October 23: Everest Rocks Concert at Base Camp

October 24 - 28: Downhill climb

October 29: Finale Concert in Kathmandu

NOTABLE CLIMBERS

The music legends will be in good company with a number of note-worthy mountaineers, two of whom are fellow cancer survivors.

• Sean Swarner, 32, is the only person in the world diagnosed with both Hodgkin's disease at age 13 and Askin's Sarcoma, at age 15, the latter of which resulted in the removal of a golf ball-sized tumor in his right lung. Both diagnoses were supposed to kill him within weeks. A decade later, with only partial use of his lungs, Swarner became the first cancer survivor to climb Mount Everest and more recently became the first cancer survivor to climb the tallest peaks on each of the seven continents. Swarner's new goal is to become the fifth person in history to accomplish the "Adventure Grand Slam," which consists of climbing the seven summits as well as trekking to the North and South Poles. http://www.seanswarner.com
• Alan Hobson, 49, achieved his dream of reaching the peak of Mt. Everest ten years ago. Three years later, he was diagnosed with cancer of the blood and given one year to live. Today, Hobson is an Everest summiteer, a worldwide adventurer and an astute businessman, following his founding of Adventrepreneur™. Climb Back from Cancer - Introducing the 10 Tools of Triumph for Survivors and Caregivers is Alan's sixth book, which he co-wrote with his wife, Cecilia. It chronicles their uplifting true story of survival and pinpoints what they consider are The 10 Tools of Triumph™ for survivors and caregivers - the key psychological skills necessary to survive life-threatening illness and thrive beyond it. http://www.climbback.com. This will be Hobson's first time back to Mount Everest since battling cancer.
• Jake Norton, 32, is one of only a handful people to twice reach the summit of Everest in consecutive years and has spent more than 365 days on the mountain. In 1999, Norton found the 75 year-old remains of British pioneer climber George Leigh Mallory; and in 2001 rescued Chinese glaciologists on the mountain. Norton has a wide range of experience in one of the world's most inhospitable places. Norton will serve as the photojournalist to document the trek and as second to help navigate the group safely to base camp. http://www.mountainworldproductions.com

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT

In addition to downloading the daily podcasts and recordings from iTunes, people are encouraged to show their support by wearing the Love Hope Strength Foundation's signature Camo Gear. After Mike Peters was diagnosed with cancer for the first time, and while on tour with his band, a faith healer revealed to him that green was the healing color of life. Thereafter, throughout six months of intense chemotherapy, he continued to play and perform in his trademark green combat fatigues, to symbolize his "battle" against cancer. This has now become the LHSF's symbol of health and strength. LHSF Camo Gear is available at www.lovehopestrength.com.

EVEREST ROCKS ARMY

High Gear, iTunes, Gibson Guitars, Cephalon Oncology, Oregon Scientifics, Outside, Kestrel Pocket Weather Meters, Crocs, Marmot, iTunes, HHypoxico, Red Robot, Pelican Products, SteriPEN, Smith Optics, Leki, Fisher Space Pen, Gardiner & Theobald.

Love Hope Strength Foundation (LHSF) is an international not-for-profit organization with chapters in The United States, United Kingdom and Australia, founded by leukemia survivors Mike Peters, of the Welsh Rock Band the Alarm and James Chippendale, President of CSI entertainment. The goal of LHSF is to give people with cancer the same opportunities Peters and Chippendale received including access to information, quality cancer treatment, medications and support.

Love Hope Strength Climbs
"Empire Rocks" was the first of the groundbreaking gigs in the "Rocks" line-up. In April, Peters with Billy Duffy (The Cult), Slim Jim Phantom (Stray Cats) and Dave Wakeling (English Beat) performed "Strength" on the observation deck of the Empire State building after walking 1,576 steps up to the top. The rousing new single is available for download on iTunes, proceeds go to LHSF. It was the first live concert held atop New York City's tallest building, and a successful prelude to the ultimate high: Everest Rocks. The event was overseen by famed music producer Tony Visconti (David Bowie, Morrissey, Thin Lizzy.) A video of the performance was captured by Alex Coletti the Emmy award winning MTV producer and creator of MTV "Unplugged" series and can be viewed on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_zU4Vjbqzc

"Snowdon Rocks", held in the band's home turf of Wales on June 22nd and 23rd, was another huge success. Peters' symbolic hike 3,560 feet above sea level and high altitude performance at the summit of Mount Snowdon raised $80,000 for LHSF charities and the Wales hospital where Peters was treated for Leukemia. Seeing this mountain everyday from his hospital bed, Peters vowed to climb this and other mountains when he recovered. The Mt. Snowdon trek and Snowdon Rocks concert can be viewed on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJ0oWCpMues&mode=related&search= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wf7ttvYaHcw&mode=related&search=