Skechers raised $586,000 from its annual Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk. Of that, $250,000 went directly to The Friendship Circle (www.gotfriends.com) and the rest was divided among six Southern California education foundations.
Over 8,500 people participated in the walk this year (compared to 2,200 at the inaugural walk four years ago) and this years donation was nearly $100,000 more than the 2012 total.
The walk along the Manhattan Beach Pier on Oct. 28 raised awareness and funds for education in the South Bay. Celebrity fitness guru Denise Austin, former Major League baseball player and Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorta and Dancing with the Stars co-host Brooke Burke hosted the Sunday morning event. Skechers president Michael Greenberg also spoke at the opening ceremony, which kicked off the 3.4-mile walk to the Hermosa Beach pier and back.
This years biggest donor was Nickelodeon, which arranged special appearances by SpongeBob, Dora as well as the four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
