The 18th Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk Raises $3.3 Million for Kids
Sugar Ray Leonard, Brooke Burke and Nate Simon join baseball icons Chris Taylor, Kyle Karros and Jared Karros to rally thousands for children with special needs and education
LOS ANGELES, October 23, 2026--In its 18th year, the Skechers Foundation, Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk and presenting sponsor Nickelodeon raised a record-breaking $3.3 million for children with special needs and education. Supported by boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard, celebrity TV host Brooke Burke, actor Nate Simon and baseball icons Chris Taylor, Kyle Karros and Jared Karros, thousands gathered on Sunday for the heartwarming annual tradition of the pier-to-pier walk in Southern California's South Bay.
"Our best-ever Sunday wasn't just an incredible success—it's the latest in a beautiful story that's always been all about our kids," said Michael Greenberg, president of Skechers and co-founder of the Walk, which has raised $35 million to date for children with special needs, public schools, and national college scholarships. "When you look at the numbers—our annual 3.4-mile journey, 18 years running, the tens of thousands who take part in this every year—we have collectively walked more than a million miles, or 40 times around the planet for our youth. As incredible as that is, the impact of seeing our next generation realize the best version of themselves through our support is even more moving. From the tens of thousands of students who have benefited from improved schools and national college scholarships, to the children with special needs and young adults who will soon gather at our world-class Friendship Campus, every step we take shows them that the sky's the limit."
"A huge shout-out to our Presenting Sponsor Nickelodeon, all of our generous celebrity supporters who have come together for this important cause, and the many dedicated companies, volunteers and more than 24,000 registrants who are putting our kids first and making every day of their lives better."
The annual Walk benefits the Friendship Campus (The Greenberg Family/Skechers Center)—a $70 million, nearly 62,000-square-foot destination that offers neurodivergent young adults a safe, supportive place that can help them build their independence and find their purpose. Funded by the Skechers Foundation, Friendship Foundation and generous partners, the campus opens its doors on January 21, 2027, with a creative arts studio, culinary institute and recreation center, as well as life skills programming, early education and mentoring that will foster their personal growth while preparing them for meaningful professional opportunities.