St. Louis, MO (KSDK) - Nearly 5,000 survivors will participate in the survivor procession before Saturday's Komen St. Louis Race for the Cure. And when they finish their march, they'll be serenaded by someone who may look a little familiar.
Tim Halperin was a contestant on 'American Idol' this season and made it to the top 24. While his Idol time is over, his partnership with Susan G. Komen for Cure is just beginning.
Music is Tim Halperin's life.
"I just had a music video come out this week, so right now I'm kind of in the main part of promoting that music video," Halperin said.
Halperin's popularity soared after being selected as a contestant for season ten's 'American Idol.' Making it to the top 24 fueled his passion and determination to keep writing and singing.
"I think for a lot of people that transition off of Idol is very challenging," he said. "...And I've just been really fortunate because I have a lot of people who believe in what I'm doing, come alongside me and say, 'Hey, I want to help you out and I want to be a part of this.'"
From a fan following on YouTube to a disc jockey in Dallas, it's that grassroots support that keeps him going. But before Idol, viral music videos or radio, Halperin developed a partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure, penning a song about survival, a tribute to the women and men who battle breast cancer.
"I got to know somebody in college who became a mentor for me, and she is actually a breast cancer survivor," Halperin said. "She organizes my college's fight against breast cancer. It's called Frogs for a Cure."
"And it benefits Komen and she was looking for a song to put a video to, and I said, 'You know what, Ann? I want to write a song for Komen and for this project,' and then we ended up putting it up on iTunes and donating all the profits to Komen."
"We Fight Back" has become an anthem for survivors who've embraced Halperin and his career.
KSDK