The Skechers Foundation announced that the organization believes that it will raise over $1.6 million to support children with special needs and education at its ninth Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk.
Supported by presenting sponsor Nickelodeon and media sponsor NBC4 Southern California, the Manhattan Beach event on October 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.
“The Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk has its heart in the right place – from improving education to helping children with special needs”Tweet this“This event has been a growing movement for nine incredible years, each one better and bigger than the last,” said Michael Greenberg, president of Skechers and the Skechers Foundation. “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.”
“The Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk has its heart in the right place – from improving education to helping children with special needs,” said legendary boxer and Skechers ambassador Sugar Ray Leonard. “For nearly a decade, this event has been about one thing: nurturing and educating our kids. 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. 2017 will make my third year 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,” said 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.”
Since 2009, the Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk has educated and inspired thousands to support children with special needs and education. The Walk 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 2017 Walk will include 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. The 3.4-mile route will begin at the Manhattan Beach Pier at 9AM, where participants will walk to the Hermosa Beach Pier and back.
Photo courtesy Skechers
