EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Nov. 10, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Sunday, October 26, 2014 Griffin Capital Corporation employees participated in the sixth annual SKECHERS Pier-to-Pier Friendship Walk, which raises money for children with special needs and education. The event, which was co-sponsored by Nickelodeon, boasted record attendance and fundraising with more than 12,000 participants donating approximately $1.1 million. The Walk is now the largest event of its kind and has broken fundraising records every year since its inception.
Griffin Capital employees, along with the other charity participants, walked from the Manhattan Beach pier to the Hermosa Beach pier and back for a total of 3.5 miles. Along the way, cheerleaders and high school band members lined the walk to cheer everyone on. "The walk was such a fun day for a great, local cause!" Kelly Chapelle, Manager of Corporate Events for Griffin Capital said. David Rupert, Griffin's President added, "As we continue building our company in the South Bay we are always looking for local charities that share our passion and drive to help those less fortunate—the Skechers and Friendship Circle Missions are two inspiring initiatives."
The Walk represented one of several charitable events Griffin Capital has participated in thus far in 2014; in September, forty Griffin employees helped build two houses in Long Beach along with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles. The company has one more event planned before year-end.
About Griffin Capital Corporation
Griffin Capital Corporation ("Griffin Capital"), is a privately-held, Los Angeles headquartered investment and management company with a 19-year track record sponsoring real estate investment vehicles and managing institutional capital. Led by senior executives, each with more than two decades of real estate experience who have collectively closed transactions representing over $16 billion in value, Griffin Capital and affiliates have acquired or constructed over 31 million square feet of space since 1995, and currently own, manage, sponsor and/or co-sponsor an institutional-quality portfolio of approximately 28 million square feet located in 32 states and 1 million square feet located in the United Kingdom, representing approximately $5.4 billion in asset value. Additional information about Griffin Capital is available at www.griffincapital.com.
About SKECHERS Foundation
The SKECHERS Foundation was established to provide families around the world with the necessities and skills to succeed in life. In addition to organizing the SKECHERS Pier to Pier Friendship Walk, the SKECHERS Foundation funds tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that provide education and job training, shoes, clothing, fitness and nutrition guidance to communities in need.
About The Friendship Circle
The Friendship Circle is a non-profit organization that assists children with special needs and their families through one-on-one peer mentoring and social recreational programming (www.gotfriends.com).
About SKECHERS USA, Inc.
SKECHERS USA, Inc. (NYSE:SKX), based in Manhattan Beach, California, designs, develops and markets a diverse range of lifestyle footwear for men, women and children, as well as performance footwear for men and women. SKECHERS footwear is available in the United States via department and specialty stores, Company-owned SKECHERS retail stores and its e-commerce website, and in over 100 countries and territories through the Company's international network of subsidiaries in Canada, Brazil, Chile, Japan, and across Europe, as well as through joint ventures in Asia and distributors around the world. For more information, please visit skechers.com, and follow us on Facebook (facebook.com/SKECHERS) and Twitter (twitter.com/SKECHERSUSA).