Making A Difference

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

(ARTISTS CHANGING THE WAY WE VIEW MENTAL HEALTH)

Late One Night, Jake Luhrs Sat Outside The Chicago House Of Blues

Stories of addiction, depression, self-harm, heartache, war, fear, and hopelessness echoed in his mind. Every night, a fan would share a different story.

Although Jake was the well-recognized frontman of August Burns Red, he was at a loss for how to help. He wasn’t a mental health specialist and he screamed into a mic for a living. Not exactly the picture of expertise his fans needed.Deep in thought and prayer, all Jake knew was that something had to change.

DIVINE INSPIRATION STRUCK

And That’s When He Got His Answer

Build a place where people can come exactly as they are and explore healing
Provide relevant resources to an increasingly digital generation
Teach them to give back and help others grow stronger together

AND THUS

HeartSupport Was Born

Every year we help men and women brave their wounds, find purpose, and discover healing. Our goal is to create a legacy of life-transformation, freeing them from suicide, addiction, abuse, and mental health issues while empowering them with the realization they are loved unconditionally and supported by a community that believes in them.

JAKE LUHRS

The Scars Foundation was established by Sully Erna and Godsmack, who have lost an overwhelming number of fellow artists and friends to suicide over the past few years. These losses had a profound effect on Sully. Realizing that mental health issues -including depression- are at the core of this epidemic, Sully is committed to using his platform to help.

The Scars Foundation is dedicated to raising monies to help like-minded organizations fulfill their missions to educate and save lives. Scars will work tirelessly to help bring a change to the perspective relating to mental health, and the many issues that cause such profound pain. The focus is not on one single issue, but to serve the broad spectrum of mental health and awareness of the struggle, faced by millions of people in the world today.

Sully shares his story whenever he can and emphasizes that “Scars come in all forms. They are both physical and emotional. They’re traumatizing and make us fear what people may think of us. We are ALL imperfect in some way, that’s what makes us perfect and unique! EVERYONE has something that makes them insecure or embarrassed. Instead of hiding or internalizing them, own them and show them off to the world! Let them empower you so you can be a voice for everyone who can’t be. If we ALL wear our scars loudly and proudly, others will follow.”

No matter what your scars are - abuse, mental illness, disabilities, bullying, addiction - none of them are defects, but a part of your unique story.

SULLY ERNA

Mike Peters is known primarily as frontman of the internationally acclaimed Welsh band The Alarm. Mike is also an inspirational solo acoustic performer and (as a two times cancer survivor), founder of what is now regarded as the world’s leading rock and roll cancer charity ‘Love Hope Strength Foundation’.

Love Hope Strength is now firmly established as the world’s leading rock and roll cancer foundation. Love Hope Strength Foundation was registered as a charity in 2007, and co-founded by Mike Peters, two-times cancer survivor and internationally acclaimed singer of Welsh rock band The Alarm.

Love Hope Strength Foundation as a charity promotes innovative, music related, outreach and awareness programmes for leukemia and cancer sufferers, survivors and their families.

The mission is to save lives, right now, with the advances that have already been made in cancer care. We do not fund cancer research, rather we use our funds to purchase medical equipment and supplies, raise awareness through special events, documentaries and media, build cancer centers and raises awareness and recruits potential donors to the organ and bone marrow registers.

Mike Peters has played an acoustic guitar all his musical life and the sound of the instrument has been at the core of all his work from the very beginnings of The Alarm to the present day.

Achieving over 15 Top 40 UK singles and over 5 million album sales worldwide along the way, Mike Peters’ musical journey has seen him sing with some of history’s greatest performers such as Bob Dylan, Neil Young & Bono.