Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk Raises Over $1.8 Million to Support Children With Special Needs and Education During COVID-19
The Skechers Foundation Has Fundraised More Than $15 Million Since 2009 for Children with Special Needs, Public Schools and National Scholarships
The Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk celebrated its 12th year, which raised over $1.8 million for children with special needs and education. Shown (L to R): Anne Kelly of Skechers Foundation, Nina Patel and Rabbi Yossi Mintz of Friendship Foundation, and Robin Curren of Skechers Foundation.
MANHATTAN BEACH, CA. – February 11, 2021 – The Skechers Foundation continued its Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk’s 12-year fundraising commitment to children with special needs and education during COVID-19, raising over $1.8 million for its first-ever virtual event – boosting its donation total to over $15 million for children to date. Supported by headlining media sponsor NBC4 Southern California and more than 100 companies, the annual event was celebrated by Skechers executives and foundation donation recipients, who participated in a socially distanced check presentation at Skechers’ retail store in Manhattan Beach, California on Tuesday, February 9.
The Foundation presented $500,000 to the non-profit organization Friendship Foundation for children with special needs and their families, as well as nearly $1 million in checks for six education foundations – helping to fund critical staffing and school programs including foreign language, music, science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs, as well as distance learning, education intervention and counseling support. The Skechers Foundation also expanded the size of its annual scholarship program, awarding $200,000 to exceptional high school students nationwide for the fourth year in a row.
“Like so many of our children, the Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk confronted this past year’s challenges head-on – thanks to the support of thousands of virtual walkers, passionate celebrities and incredible sponsors in our community,” said Michael Greenberg, president of Skechers and co-founder of the Walk. “We are indebted to all of the wonderful students and teachers, our headlining performer America’s Got Talent superstar Kodi Lee and dozens of entertainment, sports and fitness icons who rallied for our virtual event this past year – along with so many generous businesses like our media sponsor NBC4, and all of the companies that have supported our kids when they needed it the most.”
Added Greenberg: “One of our Walk’s most passionate supporters was the late, great baseball legend Tommy Lasorda, a Walk board member who helped bring this event to our community. He saw its incredible potential from day one, and every year, would marvel at how much the crowds have grown. I’m so proud to celebrate our Walk as one of his great legacies – a tradition that will continue to support thousands of children for generations to come.”
Historically California’s largest event for children with special needs and education, the Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk has grown to gather more than 17,000 annual registrants at the Manhattan Beach Pier every October in celebration of children. Celebrity supporters over the years have included guests and emcees such as Jimmy Kimmel, Brooke Burke and NBC4 investigative reporter Lolita Lopez; athletic legends Sugar Ray Leonard, Tony Romo, Howie Long, Matt Kuchar and Brooke Henderson; fitness guru Denise Austin; performers Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja and Dallas Young; and numerous YouTubers, Nickelodeon and Disney network stars.
The Skechers Foundation’s college scholarship program offers scholarships to high school seniors based on financial need and achievements in academics, athletics and leadership. Administered by Scholarship America®, the application at www.SkechersFriendshipWalk.com will be available to all high school seniors in the United States in spring 2021.
The Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk thanks its headlining media sponsor NBC4 as well as more than 100 other companies who have supported thousands of children, including Gelson’s, United Legwear & Apparel, The CET Foundation, Moose Toys, Kinecta Federal Credit Union, Petco Foundation, Steel Sports, Vertra, Chevron, McCarthy Construction, Dakine, Aptos Retail, CAA-GBG, Continental Development, Mattel, Marshalls, WSS, O’Melveny, Halo Life, Ross Dress for Less, Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse, Suntech, Caskey & Caskey and Associates, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley and Stroyke Properties.
To learn more about the annual Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk and watch the Walk’s latest virtual event, please visit skechersfriendshipwalk.com or YouTube, and follow the Walk on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About Skechers Foundation
The Skechers Foundation was established to provide families around the world with the necessities and skills to succeed in life. In addition to organizing the Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk, the Skechers Foundation funds tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that provide education and job training, shoes, clothing, fitness and nutrition guidance to communities in need.
About SKECHERS USA, Inc.
Based in Manhattan Beach, California, Skechers designs, develops and markets a diverse range of lifestyle and performance footwear, apparel and accessories for men, women and children. The Company’s collections are available in the United States and over 170 countries and territories via department and specialty stores, and direct to consumers through 3,891 Company and third-party-owned retail stores and e-commerce websites. The Company manages its international business through a network of global distributors, joint venture partners in Asia, Israel and Mexico, and wholly-owned subsidiaries in Canada, Japan, India, Europe and Latin America. For more information, please visit about.skechers.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.
This announcement contains forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, Skechers’ future domestic and international growth, financial results and operations including expected net sales and earnings, its development of new products, future demand for its products, its planned domestic and international expansion, opening of new stores and additional expenditures, and advertising and marketing initiatives. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking language such as “believe,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “project,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will result,” “could,” “may,” “might,” or any variations of such words with similar meanings. Any such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause or contribute to such differences include the disruption of business and operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic; international economic, political and market conditions including the challenging consumer retail markets in the United States; sustaining, managing and forecasting costs and proper inventory levels; losing any significant customers; decreased demand by industry retailers and cancellation of order commitments due to the lack of popularity of particular designs and/or categories of products; maintaining brand image and intense competition among sellers of footwear for consumers, especially in the highly competitive performance footwear market; anticipating, identifying, interpreting or forecasting changes in fashion trends, consumer demand for the products and the various market factors described above; sales levels during the spring, back-to-school and holiday selling seasons; and other factors referenced or incorporated by reference in Skechers’ annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended September 30, 2020. More specifically, the COVID-19 pandemic has had and is currently having a significant impact on Skechers’ business, financial conditions, cash flow and results of operations. Forward-looking statements with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic include, without limitation, Skechers’ plans in response to this pandemic. At this time, there is significant uncertainty about the COVID-19 pandemic, including without limitation, (i) the duration and extent of the impact of the pandemic, (ii) governmental responses to the pandemic, including how such responses could impact Skechers’ business and operations, as well as the operations of its factories and other business partners, (iii) the effectiveness of Skechers’ actions taken in response to these risks, and (iv) Skechers’ ability to effectively and timely adjust its plans in response to the rapidly changing retail and economic environment. Taking these and other risk factors associated with the COVID-19 pandemic into consideration, the dynamic nature of these circumstances means that what is stated in this press release could change at any time, and as a result, actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. The risks included here are not exhaustive. Skechers operates in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time and we cannot predict all such risk factors, nor can we assess the impact of all such risk factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Given these risks and uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. Moreover, reported results should not be considered an indication of future performance.
Released Feb 11, 2021 • 3:36 pm EST