BACKPACKER And Big Head Todd & the Monsters Rock OR

Big Head Todd and the Monsters chill with BACKPACKER editors.

At Outdoor Retailer, media, athletes, and gear manufacturers work hard—but they play harder, especially when it’s for a good cause. This year, BACKPACKER joined forces with Marmot, Keen, and Suunto to bring rockers Big Head Todd and the Monsters to Salt Lake City for a charity concert benefiting the Love Hope Strength Foundation, an organization dedicated to fighting cancer through music.

The band played a sold-out show to over 1,100 fans at $25 a pop—not too shabby. Once lucky concertgoer also won a BACKPACKER-themed Epiphone guitar (four others won Suunto, Marmot, Keen, and Love Hope Strength guitars, but c’mon—ours has a freakin’ bear on it). BHT & TM singer/guitarist Todd Park Mohr handed out the guitar himself.

But the battle continues, and you can help: Love Hope Strength wants to fight cancer by registering as many people as possible for the national bone marrow donor database. It sounds painful, but it just takes a swab of saliva. If you’re matched with someone, you could end up saving their life with a simple outpatient procedure. (Find out more here).

Back in 2009, BACKPACKER joined Love Hope Strength and several rock stars for a climb up Kilimanjaro—look out for the story in an upcoming issue. In the meantime, consider donating money or volunteering your time. Here’s a bit more about the LHS Foundation:

With headquarters in Denver and chapters in Texas, the United Kingdom, Peru, and Australia, LHS brings critical funding, material support and awareness to cancer initiatives worldwide. LHS has traveled the globe to Mt. Everest, the Empire State Building, Mt.Snowdon and Machu Picchu, Peru, using the universal language of music to purchase life saving equipment, spread awareness, promote early detection, and register people to the international bone marrow database. Co-founded by cancer survivors James Chippendale, CEO of CSI Entertainment Insurance, and Mike Peters, front man of The Alarm; and with the support from legends in rock n’ roll and passionate volunteers from around the globe, LHS is making a tangible difference in the fight against cancer.

—Ted Alvarez