Talk about walking the walk. Skechers’ 2026 Pier to Pier Friendship Walk on Sunday, October 18, in L.A. County raised the bar on a nearly two-decade fundraising tradition. Sponsored by Nickelodeon, Howie Mandel, Brooke Burke, Sugar Ray Leonard, among others, the Walk—from Manhattan Beach Pier to Hermosa Beach Pier and back—raised a record-breaking $3.3 million for children with special needs, public schools, and national college scholarships. Since its inception, the Walk has raised $35 million to help young people.
This year’s Friendship Walk was especially meaningful because it serves as part of the lead-up to the January 2027 grand opening of the Friendship Campus—a first-of-its-kind center located in Redondo Beach, CA, dedicated to helping neurodivergent young adults thrive.
“Thanks to the Walk, we have had 18 years of positive change in our community—from seeing the Friendship Foundation flourish to improving our public schools and helping students pursue their college dreams,” says Michael Greenberg, president of Skechers and co-founder of the Walk. “Now, the Friendship Campus is taking that impact to an entirely new level.”
The Friendship Campus (a.k.a. The Greenberg Family/Skechers Center) is a $70 million, nearly 62,000-square-foot campus that will offer young adults with special needs myriad facilities, including a creative arts studio, culinary institute, and recreation center. Programming will include early education, mentoring, hands-on learning, workplace practices, and skill development to prepare students for meaningful professional opportunities. Funding will come from the Skechers Foundation, the Friendship Foundation, and partners.
“The Friendship Campus will create a culture of hope, opportunity, and belonging—a safe, supportive place where they can be encouraged, inspired, and realize their potential,” says Greenberg. “Through our Friendship Campus and annual Walk, we are writing the book on what empathy, generosity, and compassion can look like when put into action—and how a community coming together can create meaningful change that resonates across generations. Our hope is that what we’re building here can serve as a blueprint for communities everywhere to help all of our youth thrive.”
The Friendship Foundation has grown from initially serving 30 participants at a single school through its Buddy Program, to reaching more than 5,000 students, participants, and volunteers across Los Angeles County—partnering with nearly 100 schools, facilitating more than 50 monthly programs, and providing a six-week summer camp.
The Walk has made a positive impact on public education by raising funds that help reduce class sizes; update labs, libraries, and facilities; and protect teachers’ jobs. Proceeds have also helped fund more than $3.5 million in scholarships for students with financial need and proven excellence in academics, athletics, and leadership through The Skechers Foundation’s national college scholarship program.
Skechers expects the Foundation’s new headquarters at the Friendship Campus to significantly expand the organization’s reach, programming, and impact.
Renderings by Gensler
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