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Empowering anthem 'Shine' out now, with proceeds to benefit Stoneman Douglas High School community

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Fri, Mar 16th 2018 08:30 pm
Song written by and featuring students from Stoneman Douglas High School is call for hope & action, honoring victims of Feb. 14 mass shooting
The inspirational song "Shine," written by two student survivors of the tragic mass shooting at Parkland Florida's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, was released today and features members of the school drama department. The powerful song has emerged as an anthem of the student-led movement to end gun violence, written by students Sawyer Garrity, 16, and Andrea Peña, 15, just days after the Feb. 14 tragedy that claimed 17 lives and wounded many others.
The song is available now on iTunes and streaming services in the U.S. Proceeds from download sales of "Shine" will be donated to the SHINE MSD Fund at the Broward Education Foundation, a nonprofit organization, to support victims and their families via community mental health and arts programs.
The song made its debut during the CNN Town Hall meeting on Feb. 21, where survivors and members of the Stoneman Douglas community demanded action from lawmakers and representatives of the gun lobby in the wake of the tragedy. The town hall closed with a moving live performance of "Shine" by Stoneman Douglas' High School drama students in front of the 7,000 people attending and millions watching at home.
A moving tribute to the students, teachers, families and loved ones whose lives were tragically altered forever by the violence, the song proclaimed, 'We're not gonna let you win, we're putting up a fight, you may have brought the dark, but together we will shine the light."
"Shine" was also played March 14 at Stoneman Douglas High School as students walked out of their classrooms in support of a nationwide protest to honor the victims and raise awareness about issues of school safety and the impact of gun violence.
More than 3,000 walkouts took place in the U.S. and around the world exactly one month after the Florida massacre. The walkouts lasted 17 minutes - one minute for each life taken at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
The exposure after the CNN performance ignited a global outpouring of interest in "Shine." The song's emotional impact and growing support for the victims of gun violence to make their voices heard gave Sawyer, Andrea, their classmates and families the idea of releasing the song publicly.
"It's our call for action and hope," Sawyer said.
For more information about "Shine," log on to WWW.ShineMSD.org.

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