Shane Straight, from West Virginia, was a young college student when we first met him, shortly after the release of THE WITNESS in 2000. With a wisdom beyond his years, Shane understood the deeper implications of the film’s message better than almost anyone. Perhaps most impressively, he immediately set to work, and within a few short months, had screened The Witness over 50 times on his college campus. By the time Shane graduated, he had personally shared The Witness with the majority of the students and faculty at Guilford College, helping to bring about a dramatic change of consciousness in his community.

The following year, Shane spent time at Oasis Sanctuary where Eddie Rizzo and Eddie Lama took him under their wings, appreciating his many talents and his concern for others. While Shane left this world far too soon, at the age of 29, the many lives that he touched, the positive change he inspired, and the vision that guided him will carry his legacy into the future. We are proud to have known Shane, and have rarely met a young person as committed as he was to putting his compassion into action.