Skechers puts its best foot forward for Nepal
Skechers USA Inc. is making a big donation to support children affected by the earthquake in Nepal.
The company says it will give more than 62,000 pairs of new shoes to children in that nation. The company has distributed 11 million pairs of shoes to children in need worldwide since its BOBS charitable program launched in 2011.
“BOBS was created as an ongoing program to help children in need around the world, but when a natural disaster strikes we need to step up even more to help families affected by these tragedies,” said Skechers President Michael Greenberg. “With reports of more than 300,000 homes destroyed, 16,000 people injured and thousands of lives lost, we need to do our part to help the people of Nepal rebuild. The need for food, water and shelter is critical, but shoes to protect a child’s feet can offer a feeling of comfort and safety in the midst of a chaotic disaster zone.”
Working with donation partners K.I.D.S./Fashion Delivers and Soles4Souls, more than 62,000 pairs of BOBS from Skechers donation shoes will be transported to. The first delivery of more than 36,000 pairs is scheduled to arrive for May distribution. As more rubble is cleared and transitional housing is established for victims of the earthquake, an additional container of 26,000-plus pairs of BOBS will arrive in Nepal for distribution in August.
“In the last three years, BOBS from Skechers has generously provided us with more than 6 million pairs of shoes donated for children both here in the U.S. and around the world,” said K.I.D.S./Fashion Delivers President Lisa D. Gurwitch. “These shoes are very special for us and the community partners with whom we work, because we can reliably plan on their arrival, we know how many there will be and we receive a size range to serve children from 2 years old through 12 years old. These shoes are an essential item and we strive to include them in programs where the children are also receiving other services and support so that we can be part of solution that helps the whole child.”
Skechers USA, Inc., based in Manhattan Beach, California, has more than 1,050 Skechers retail stores.