Skechers Raises $1.8M for Children With Special Needs at 9th Pier to Pier Friendship Walk

Skechers ambassadors Brooke Burke-Charvet, Sugar Ray Leonard and Denise Austin led thousands of revelers on Sunday in Manhattan Beach, Calif., in support of the brand’s ninth annual Pier to Pier Friendship Walk — where more than $1.8 million was raised for children and educational programs.

The funds benefit the Friendship Foundation, an organization dedicated to facilitating friendships between teen volunteers and children with special needs through confidence-building activities.

“The walk is going to be 10 years old, and next we’re going to break $2 million,” Skechers president Michael Greenberg said of next year’s goal.

Greenberg added that the Friendship Walk’s success “wouldn’t be possible” without the support of the local community. Skechers has its headquarters in the picturesque coastal area.

More than 14,000 people registered to participate in the 3.4-mile walk around Manhattan Beach Pier.  Greenberg noticed one longtime supporter was missing among the crowd — Dodgers legend Tommy Lasorda. “Maybe last night’s win had something to do with it,” Greenberg joked of the 2017 World Series team that triumphed on Saturday but later lost the title to the Houston Astros in Game 7 on Thursday.

Meanwhile model and TV personality Burke-Charvet, whose first print campaign began with Skechers nearly 20 years ago, added: “It’s awesome to know this event continues to grow. The South Bay [an area that includes Manhattan Beach] makes such a difference in the community and the school system.”