Skechers Foundation Donates $2.5 Million to Education, Children With Special Needs
Mar 10, 2022 11:26AM ● By Mb News Staff
The Skechers Foundation announced that the organization has donated $2.5 million - the largest amount donated to date - to children with special needs and education through funds raised at its latest Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk.
The donations included $236,256 to the Manhattan Beach Education Foundation and $713,114 to the Friendship Foundation.
The Skechers Friendship Walk is an annual event that has raised close to $18 million since 2009 for children.
The Foundation presented more than $1.47 million in checks to six education foundations, including those in Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, El Segundo, Torrance, and Palos Verdes Peninsula. Those contributions help support critical staffing and educational programs such as music, foreign language, science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs; distance learning support and education intervention; and counseling and mental health support.
Additionally, the Friendship Walk has provided critical support for the Friendship Foundation.
“Our children with special needs are thriving at the Friendship Foundation, thanks to the walk’s incredible support,” said Yossi Mintz, the organization’s co-founder. “Through donations, the event has had a direct impact—growing our clubs, events and in-person and online activities. Together with the Los Angeles region’s future Friendship Foundation campus for young adults with special needs, we’re transforming how our children will see the world and each other.”
Skechers Scholarships
In addition to breaking new donation records for children with special needs and public schools, the Skechers Foundation’s national scholarship program awarded more than $280,000, a new record for the program. By year’s end, the organization will have donated $982,000 to talented and economically disadvantaged students to attend colleges across the country.
“As a financial institution, we understand how life-changing donations can be, especially to those in underserved communities,” said Keith Sultemeier, president and chief executive officer of Kinecta, the presenting sponsor of the walk. “This event has a direct impact on more than 50,000 students’ academic and professional futures. It’s an event that we’re incredibly proud to support, and we look forward to helping even more children this fall as the Pier to Pier Friendship Walk’s presenting sponsor for the second year in a row.”
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 2022.
Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk
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 16,000 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, Denise Austin and NBC4 investigative reporter Lolita Lopez; athletic icons Sugar Ray Leonard, Tony Romo, Howie Long, Matt Kuchar, Brooke Henderson and baseball legend
Tommy Lasorda; and numerous YouTubers, Nickelodeon and Disney network stars.The Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk is made possible by presenting sponsor Kinecta Federal Credit Union as well as more than 100 other companies, including The CET Foundation, McCarthy Construction, Steel Sports, Moose Toys, Ross Dress for Less, Petco Foundation, Vertra, Dakine, Bank of America, The MBS Group, KCI General Contractors, United Legwear & Apparel, Rare Beauty, Simplehuman, TJX Companies, Academy Sports, Continental Development, Chevron, Marshalls and WSS.
This year's Friendship Walk will take place once again at the Manhattan Beach Pier on Sunday, October 30.
Skechers Headquartered in Manhattan Beach
Skechers, headquartered in Manhattan Beach, 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.
