Clayton Kershaw — the Los Angeles Dodgers’ living legend, three-time Cy Young Award winner, 2014 MVP, and soon-to-be retiree — quietly joined the sea of walkers at the 17th annual Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk, presented by Nickelodeon.
Dressed in Skechers and humility, Kershaw wasn’t there for applause or headlines. He was there for a purpose. For the kids. For the families. For the feeling that the world, when it walks together, can move mountains.
Flanked by his wife, Ellen, and their children, Kershaw smiled as he walked side-by-side with supporters, families, and children of all abilities. This wasn’t the roar of Dodger Stadium — it was something softer, more sacred. A chorus of laughter and cheers that echoed down the shoreline.
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw surprised fans by joining them in walking the 17th annual @SKECHERSUSA Pier to Pier Friendship Walk, presented by Nickelodeon, on Sunday, October 19th in Manhattan Beach, where he and his family lives during the season. All this on his off day as… pic.twitter.com/8drVkLDKZI
— Michael J. Duarte (@michaeljduarte) October 20, 2025
The Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk has become a California tradition — one that unites tens of thousands every year to empower children with special needs, uplift public schools, and fund national college scholarships. Since its inception, the event has raised nearly $30 million for causes that strengthen the bonds of community. This year’s walk broke another record — more than $3.2 million raised.
Celebrities and supporters joined in the march — comedian Howie Mandel, wellness advocate Brooke Burke, St. Louis Cardinals infielder Brendan Donovan, and actor Patrick Muldoon among them — each step carrying the weight of compassion and the rhythm of hope.
Proceeds from the event support the Friendship Foundation, which runs 60+ year-round programs designed to foster inclusion through art, music, fitness, and education. They’ll also help fund the upcoming Friendship Campus, a groundbreaking 62,000-square-foot facility set to open in 2026 that will offer vocational training and creative learning for individuals with special needs.
For Kershaw, the timing of his appearance carried an almost cinematic quality. With just one series left in his storied career — and the Los Angeles Dodgers returning to the World Series after sweeping Milwaukee — the left-hander stands on the brink of baseball immortality. One more chance. One more October. One more sunset to ride off into.
Here, Kershaw wasn’t the ace or the champion. He was just another man walking beside his neighbors, giving his time and his heart.
Because sometimes, greatness isn’t measured in strikeouts or rings — but in the quiet steps we take for others in silence.