LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Skechers, The Comfort Technology Company, is supporting Haiti earthquake relief efforts with a $1 million donation to be given to three charitable organizations: CORE, Hope For Haiti and World Central Kitchen. The Company is supporting these organizations to help the Haitian people who need immediate assistance recovering from this natural disaster.
Since the tragic event on the morning of Saturday, August 14, more than 2,100 people have died with countless others critically injured. According to UNICEF, more than 84,000 homes were damaged or destroyed and over a half million children have been left without necessary food, shelter or clean water.
“As soon as we heard about the devastation on Saturday, it was clear that Skechers needed to step up and help the people of Haiti,” said Michael Greenberg, president of Skechers. “We’re donating a combined $1 million to three organizations that are making an immediate difference today—and two of which have been providing critical aid in Haiti for many years. This is just a kickoff. We are expecting to raise significant additional funds through the Million Dollar Challenge for Haiti—one that will encourage our ambassadors, partners and employees to donate with us as the need is tremendous. We are so proud of our associates and affiliates around the globe. We know that our teams and partners will come through for the people of Haiti whose lives have been upturned. Skechers is a culture of caring and making a difference is paramount to who we are.”
CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort)—co-founded by actor and activist Sean Penn in response to the 2010 Haitian earthquake disaster, the organization has continued its work in Haiti and responds globally when crisis strikes where vulnerable communities suffer most.
“We are extremely grateful for this support as funding on the ground is urgently needed,” said Ann Lee, CEO and co-founder of CORE. “The devastation throughout the region is tremendous and there are countless lives that hang in the balance. These resources support our teams that have been on the ground since day one, our mobile medical units, shelter kits, and heavy equipment, clearing access into affected communities for life-saving operations to help those most impacted by the crisis. Our priority is to assist the Haitian government and local organizations by supporting the immediate needs of the Haitian people while developing a long-term recovery plan.”
Hope For Haiti—its ongoing mission is to provide resources to help communities thrive while improving the quality of life for Haitian people, particularly children. The organization works with communities in rural areas in support of education, healthcare, infrastructure, access to clean water, and economic activity.
“Our team is incredibly grateful for the generosity of the Skechers Foundation to launch the Skechers Economy Fund. This contribution will support direct economic relief as a part of our emergency response and recovery plan, specifically providing 1,000 micro grants, 20 loans, financial literacy classes, and digital currency education to school teachers and micro-, small-, and medium-sized businesses with the support of blockchain-enabled cash transfers,” says Skyler Badenoch, Hope for Haiti’s CEO.
World Central Kitchen—founded by chef José Andrés to use the power of food to nourish communities and strengthen economies in times of crisis and beyond. The organization also helps create food resilience and skill training to build opportunities within the community while feeding those who are hungry.
Skechers has just begun the Million Dollar Challenge for Haiti with outreach through the Skechers Foundation and the creation of the Skechers Haiti Relief Fund. The first donations and commitments have come in from some company employees, ambassadors (including Howie Long, Meb Keflezighi, Brooke Burke and Jon Gruden) and licensees (including United Legwear and Apparel Company, Fossil Group, ONSKINERY GmbH and Floriey Industries). These and future donations will be in addition to the $1 million from Skechers and will also go to CORE, Hope for Haiti and World Central Kitchen.
About SKECHERS USA
Skechers, The Comfort Technology Company based in Southern California, designs, develops and markets a diverse range of lifestyle and performance footwear, apparel and accessories for men, women and children. The Company’s collections are available in the United States and over 170 countries and territories via department and specialty stores, and direct to consumers through 4,057 Company- and third-party-owned retail stores and e-commerce websites. The Company manages its international business through a network of global distributors, joint venture partners in Asia, Israel and Mexico, and wholly-owned subsidiaries in Canada, Japan, India, Europe and Latin America. For more information, please visit about.skechers.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.
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 CORE
CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort) is a crisis relief nonprofit organization co-founded by Sean Penn and Ann Lee that is dedicated to saving lives and strengthening communities affected by or vulnerable to crisis. Within hours of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Penn mobilized a powerful network to take immediate action. More than 11 years later, CORE continues to lead sustainable programs focused on four pillars: emergency relief, disaster preparedness, environmental resilience, and community building. The organization has expanded beyond Haiti to support communities in the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, the United States, India and Latin America. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, CORE has been operating free testing sites across the U.S. alongside local partners, providing essential resources and contact tracing services as well as part of its integrated approach to combat the pandemic. In 2021, CORE is working with its partners in the U.S. and internationally to ensure equitable distribution of vaccines, and has published a manual to encourage equity-focused community-based vaccination operations. More information: www.coreresponse.org/covid-19 and follow CORE on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
About Hope for Haiti
Hope for Haiti’s mission is to improve the quality of life for the Haitian people, particularly children. For the past 32 years, Hope for Haiti has built a reputation as one of the most trusted non-profit organizations in southern Haiti, through a firm dedication to the highest standards of transparency, accountability, and good governance. The organization’s team includes 62 full-time Haitian staff members who are from and live in Hope for Haiti’s partner communities and serve as key leaders in the implementation of Hope for Haiti’s strategic plan. Using lessons learned in crisis response from the 2010 Earthquake, Haiti’s Cholera Epidemic, Hurricane Matthew, and the spread of COVID-19, Hope for Haiti has developed a comprehensive short- and long-term response & recovery plan for the 2021 Earthquake and is uniquely qualified to respond to the needs of the Haitian people in the days and years ahead. Hope for Haiti is a 4-star rated non-profit by Charity Navigator and is a participant at the Platinum Level through the GuideStar Exchange, two leading independent evaluators recognizing the organization’s transparency and careful stewardship of donor resources. To learn more and read the full response plan, visit: www.hopeforhaiti.com and follow the organization on Instagram @hopeforhaiti for the most recent updates.
About World Central Kitchen
Founded in 2010 by Chef José Andrés, World Central Kitchen uses the power of food to nourish communities and strengthen economies in times of crisis and beyond. WCK has created a new model for disaster response through its work helping devastated communities recover and establish resilient food systems. WCK has served more than 50 million fresh meals to people impacted by natural disasters and other crises around the world in countries including The Bahamas, Indonesia, Lebanon, Mozambique, Venezuela, and the United States. WCK’s Resilience Programs in the Caribbean and Central America have trained hundreds of chefs and school cooks, advanced clean cooking practices, and awarded grants to farms, fisheries and small food businesses while also providing training and networking opportunities. Learn more at wck.org.
