THE LOVE HOPE STRENGTH FOUNDATION AIMS TO MAKE MUSIC AND CANCER FIGHTING HISTORY ATOP MACHU PICCHU WITH "PERU ROCKS"

Today marked the beginning of the four day, 30 mile hike to the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu by the sixty-fix musicians, cancer survivors and participants contributing to the Love Hope Strength Foundation’s "Peru Rocks" – a 10-day musical journey taking place October 8-17 in multiple locations throughout Peru.  Well known musicians from Fastball, The Fixx, join musician Nick Harper, renowned director and producer Alex Colletti, LHS co-founder Mike Peters of The Alarm, LHS Co-Founder James Chippendale, and 60 cancer survivors and supporters for a music-fueled pilgrimage through Peru devoted to providing cancer care to a country in need. The Peru Rocks experience will be documented by director/producer Alex Colletti (creator of MTV's Unplugged), who premiered the first LHS documentary, Everest Rocks, on MTV's HD channel Palladia in September of 2008.

As with Everest Rocks, when millions of people from around the globe watched footage from the day's journey and participated via a dedicated website, the LHS foundation has established an interactive trekker journal, www.perurocks.org as a way for cancer supporters around the world to join in this historic effort. LHS will make podcasts available each day on the dedicated site as well as iTunes. All proceeds from this endeavor will provide much needed equipment to Peru's National Institute of Neoplastic Disease in conjunction with ALINEN. Last year LHS 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, LHS will use the money to establish a chapter in Peru that will initiate ongoing national awareness and cancer care campaigns.

One of the many survivors who are "climbing back from cancer" on this trip, Tracy Callahan, from Philadelphia, was given five years to live after being diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer. This October she will be celebrating five years of remission alongside many other cancer 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 inspiration behind the online video portal, www.givethanks.tv . Otto, who passed away in May 2008 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.

 "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 James Chippendale, Co-Founder of the Love Hope Strength Foundation.

 "Peru Rocks" 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 LHS broke the record for highest concert ever performed at the base camp of Mount Everest.  The Love Hope Strength Foundation started the "Rocks" events with the hope of bringing cancer care and support to the world. Their mission continues in Peru, one cancer center in every country, one concert at a time.

Brands and individuals are helping to make Peru Rocks possible and are an essential component to bringing change to Peru and the LHS mission. They include Epiphone, Marmot, Crocs, Eagle Creek, Irridium, MTV's Palladia, Gardiner AND Theobald, Smith Optics and Red Robot Entertainment as well as thousands of individual supporters.

About the Love Hope Strength Foundation

Love Hope Strength Foundation (LHSF) is an international, music-centric cancer charity dedicated to providing support for cancer centers and inspiration to those affected throughout the world. With headquarters in Denver, CO and chapters in Dallas, London and Sydney, Australia, the Love Hope Strength Foundation is now one of the fastest growing cancer foundations in the world. Having performed concerts on 5 continents in just one year's time, they are providing critical funding and awareness for cancer centers worldwide. The mission is to save lives, right now, with the advances that have already been made in cancer care. They are traveling the globe to remote venues such as the base camp of Everest, the top of The Empire State Building and the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu, reaching out through the universal language of music to purchase life saving equipment, spread awareness, promote early detection, and register people to the international marrow database so that people, like James Chippendale himself, can find the match that will save their lives.  Joining the Love Hope Strength Army in the battle against cancer are musicians from every corner of the globe. High school bands and Nepalese folk singers, to legends in rock n' roll such as members of The Cult, The Stray Cats, Gin Blossoms, Chuck Berry, The Fixx, Tokyo Police Club, Squeeze, Candlebox, Seether, Smithereens, Dick Dale, Everclear and hundreds more have done their part to help spread the word through music. LHS has become a staple at international music festivals like, Bonnaroo, Mile High Music Festival and The Gathering where they have begun registering people to the national marrow registry right on site.

Contact: Jason Damata 917-279-8706 Jason (at) fabricmedia (dot)net  or Chris Thonis 303-818-2170 Chris (at) fabricmedia (dot)net