MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. – May 14, 2015 – SKECHERS USA, Inc. (NYSE:SKX) today announced that through the Company’s charitable footwear donation program, BOBS from SKECHERS, it will give more than 62,000 pairs of new shoes to support children affected by the devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Nepal. This much-needed donation will add to the Company’s 11 million-pairs distributed to children in need worldwide since the BOBS charitable program launched in 2011.
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 Nepal to aid victims of the April 25 earthquake. 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.
“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,” began 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. We are happy to work with our charitable partners K.I.D.S./Fashion Delivers and Soles4Souls to transport BOBS shoes into Nepal, and we hope this donation will help thousands of children in need.”
“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.”
“Working with BOBS from SKECHERS for disaster response is powerful,” said Soles4Souls CEO, Buddy Teaster. “Working together, we were able to distribute more than 200,000 pairs of shoes following Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. Now the opportunity to help make a difference is in front of us and, once again, shoes will be an important part of helping tens of thousands of Nepalese get back on their feet.”
The BOBS donation in Nepal is SKECHERS’ latest contribution to help families affected by disaster; in addition to Typhoon Haiyan relief in the Philippines, previous donations have provided footwear for survivors of Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and victims of the devastating Haiti earthquake in 2010. BOBS also regularly donates its product to more than 30 countries worldwide, from communities in need in the United States to families around the globe.
Designed for women and kids, SKECHERS donates new shoes to children in need when consumers purchase BOBS. Those who want to make a difference can find BOBS styles in stores nationwide and markets around the world.
