13th Annual Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk Returns to the Beach to Raise $2.5 Million for Kids
Backed by Multi-Year Sponsor Kinecta Federal Credit Union and Celebrities Brooke Burke, Sugar Ray Leonard and Meb Keflezighi, the Event will Raise Funds for Children with Special Needs and Education
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
The Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk, presented by Kinecta Federal Credit Union, is back on the beach, with a record-breaking $2.5 million goal to help children with special needs and students succeed. Supported by Presenting Sponsor Kinecta and more than 100 companies, the event will feature live performances, celebrities and famed athletes including Brooke Burke, Sugar Ray Leonard and Meb Keflezighi in support of children.
Michael Greenberg joins Friendship Foundation buddies Marcus and Owen at the Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk. The event has raised more than $17 million to support children with special needs and education. Photo credit: Gregg DeGuire, Getty Images
“Kids can realize their true potential when given the right tools. And through the Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk, we aim to give our children with special needs programs that enrich their lives, and provide their peers with the opportunities they need to succeed,” said Michael Greenberg, founder of the Walk. “Our latest plans include a world-class Friendship Foundation Campus that will soon provide college-based learning, job training and creative opportunities so that young adults with special needs can join the work force, opening up new opportunities for these individuals around the world. Our generous sponsors, ambassadors and Walk participants have all played a role in the Friendship Foundation’s success—and I’m confident that our event is about to have its best year ever in support of these wonderful kids and our amazing students.”
Donations from the Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk support The Friendship Foundation and education foundations for public schools. The Friendship Foundation offers children with special needs one-on-one peer visits and social recreational activities, from online gatherings to summer camps, sporting event outings and classes such as music, yoga, cooking, art and drama. The event also helps enhance schools, reduce class sizes, update labs, libraries and facilities as well as protect teachers’ jobs. This year, the Skechers Foundation’s national scholarship program will donate a portion of the proceeds to students with financial need and proven excellence in academics, athletics and leadership, and has awarded $620,000 to date.
“The impact this Walk has on our children is profound and wide-reaching. We’ve been a proud sponsor of this event for years, and we are so enthusiastic about participating as the Presenting Sponsor this year because we’ve seen firsthand how it helps more than 50,000 children in our community,” said Keith Sultemeier, chief executive officer of Kinecta. “All of us at Kinecta know how difficult this past year has been for so many, and we encourage anyone who can take part and help their neighbors, to do so on Sunday. This investment in our kids will change their lives.”
Historically California’s largest event for children with special needs and education, the Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk has raised more than $17 million to date for public schools, scholarships and the Friendship Foundation—breaking donation records since its 2009 launch. Prior to last year’s virtual event, annual attendance had reached 17,000 registrants.
Performers at this year’s event will include Young Selena singer Madison Taylor Baez and Dance Moms’ GiaNia Paolantonio dancing with He’s All That actor Gabe DeGuzman. The Walk is also being supported virtually worldwide by celebrities and legendary athletes such as Tony Romo, Rusty Wallace, Jamie Redknapp and Brooke Henderson, as well as numerous YouTube and Disney network stars.
Walkers can register in person at the event, sign up online at skechersfriendshipwalk.com and live stream the 13th annual Walk at the site on Sunday, October 24th at 9am PST. Participants can also follow the event on Facebook (facebook.com/SKECHERSFriendshipWalk), Instagram (instagram.com/skechersp2pwalk) and Twitter (twitter.com/SkechersP2PWalk).
In addition to Presenting Sponsor Kinecta Federal Credit Union, the Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk thanks all of its sponsors, including The CET Foundation, Nickelodeon, Steel Sports, Steel Partners, McCarthy Building Companies, Vertra, Dakine, Dreamworks Animation, The MBS Group, Continental Development, United Legwear & Apparel, Chevron, Moose Toys, Petco Love, Ross Stores, simplehuman and many more very generous companies who have helped us make a meaningful difference in the lives of so many children.
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.
Skechers (NYSE:SKX), The Comfort Technology Company™ based in Southern California, 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 4,057 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, 2020 and its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended June 30, 2021. 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.
Jennifer Clay
SKECHERS USA, Inc.
jennc@skechers.com
(310) 937-1326
Source: Skechers
Released Oct 19, 2021 • 10:00 am EDT