The Skechers Foundation hopes to raise more than $1.6 million to support children with special needs and education at its 9th SKECHERS Pier to Pier Friendship Walk. Supported by presenting sponsor Nickelodeon and media sponsor NBC4 Southern California, the Manhattan Beach,CA, event on Oct. 29 will feature a team of new and returning entertainment, sport, fitness and kids’ celebrities, including Sugar Ray Leonard, Brooke Burke-Charvet, Tommy Lasorda and Denise Austin. In addition, there will be special performances by NBC’s Little Big Shots’ Kieran Tamondong, America’s Got Talent duo Artyon and Paige, Nickelodeon star Ciara Wilson and dance sensation Larsen Thompson.
“This event has been a growing movement for nine incredible years, each one better and bigger than the last,” states Michael Greenberg, president of Skechers. “All of our kids should be celebrated for their unique abilities, and that’s why we gather every year at the Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk—to come together and make a difference for thousands. When you look back, the results have been phenomenal–our annual donations have grown from $200,000 in year one to $1.6 million last year, from 1,000 participants to more than 12,000. We’re thrilled, humbled and can’t wait to do it again this year.”
“For nearly a decade, this event has been about one thing: nurturing and educating our kids,” says legendary boxer and Skechers ambassador, Sugar Ray Leonard. “This single event can change their entire year and help shape them into the grown-ups they’ll become–it supports their schools, their activities, builds friendships and builds their confidence. This year will make my third at the Walk, and I’m truly honored to be part of this.”
“We’re back to support the Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk because we’re a firm believer in the positive impact it has on children with special needs and our schools,” says Steve Carlston, president and general manager of NBC4 Southern California. “It’s a wonderful chance for us to spotlight this incredible movement that has changed the tide on how we view and support children throughout our community.”
The Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship is a primary source of funding for The Friendship Foundation, which assists children with special needs and their families through one-on-one peer mentoring and social recreational programming such as field trips, summer camps and music classes. The Walk has also helped education foundations rehabilitate and improve schools: updating technology, science labs and libraries; revamping music programs; reducing class sizes; and saving teachers’ jobs. Additionally, the Skechers Foundation gives $100,000 in annual scholarships to children, awarding students who have shown financial need and academic, athletic and leadership excellence.
The 3.4-mile route will begin at the Manhattan Beach Pier at 9 a.m., where participants will walk to the Hermosa Beach Pier and back. To register or make a donation, visit skechersfriendshipwalk.com or follow Skechers on Facebook (facebook.com/SKECHERSFriendshipWalk) and Twitter (twitter.com/SkechersP2PWalk).
