“On August 11, 1999, our lives changed irrevocably. Shawna Shea, daughter of Skip Shea and twin sister of Erin Porter, and sister of Alana Phoenix and Kristen Laliberte, died in a car accident on a summer night, riding with friends. All dreams, possibilities and things we'll never know or could imagine left this world that night. She was 16, talented, creative and most of all, fiercely independent. At this very tender age, and even before that, she gravitated to those who lived in the margins of life. It was clear that she came to this Earth to help, and even though she's no longer here, we aim to continue what started with Shawna: honoring creativity and independence and giving people a chance.

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The year she died, nearly the entire town of Uxbridge, Massachusetts, came out in force for a walk across town in her honor to raise money for scholarships for graduating seniors at Uxbridge High School. Since then we have continuously awarded scholarships annually in her name and in the name of Michael Liberty, her cousin who also left us too soon.

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We have grown and evolved into a tax-exempt non-profit foundation with several programs that give opportunities to those who don't readily get them. 

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We think this is what Shawna would do.”