BOBS from Skechers® Paws for a Cause design scholarship Winners
April 15, 2024 • Trends • Rescue
Teeny Nadeau’s regal cat mosaic
Let’s give a round of “a-paws” to the winners of the first ever BOBS from Skechers® Paws for a Cause design scholarship!
Skechers, The Comfort Technology Company™, is thrilled to announce that as part of its BOBS philanthropic division, it is awarding two talented, Southern California-based college students – Teeny Nadeau of Cal State Fullerton and Maki Shigetani of USC – tuition funds and corporate mentorships with the Skechers team. To top it off, Nadeau and Shigetani’s creative animal prints will be produced on key BOBS from Skechers styles that will be released as part of a limited-edition collection in June 2024, allowing their creativity to shine!
The announcement of the first Paws for a Cause scholarship winners comes just after Change a Pet’s Life Day aligning perfectly with Nadeau and Shigetani, college juniors whose one-of-a-kind patterns were inspired by their own adopted pets. Double majoring in Entertainment Art/Animation and Illustration at Fullerton, Teeny Nadeau’s cat mosaic honors her longtime feline friend, Firefly. “The Paws for a Causescholarship program has been the most incredible gift during a tough year for me and (my cat) Firefly whose cancer sadly took her life,” says Nadeau. “Winning this award feels like the most fantastic way to honor the memory of my lifelong companion – especially knowing that Firefly’s print will help rescue pets, which makes it even more special“
USC’s Maki Shigetani’s ‘Bark n’ Drive’ dog-driven design pays tribute to her family’s rescue pups, who helped in supporting her mental health throughout the COVID pandemic. “Our pets’ goofy antics, unconditional love, and sheer enthusiasm for life are contagious, transforming our home into a sanctuary of laughter and warmth,” states Shigetani. “It’s wonderful to have my work become part of the BOBS mission, which resonates so profoundly with me. I believe in creating better environments for our four-legged friends, ensuring they experience love, care, and a sense of belonging – and spreading awareness about how these bundles of fur have the incredible power to change lives. They offer companionship, teach us about resilience, and remind us of the simple joys in life.”
‘Bark n’ Drive’ dog pattern by Maki Shigetani
In addition to having their furry family members featured across BOBS from Skechers footwear, the first Paws for a Cause winners will each be receiving a $10,000 scholarship through the Skechers Foundation, one-on-one corporate mentoring sessions with key Skechers personnel, and a donation to a regional animal welfare organization in honor of each of their pets. Applicants for the Paws for a Cause design scholarship were invited to create dog or cat themed prints for a BOBS from Skechers shoe, write about their design and share a personal story about an adopted/shelter pet, or what the BOBS from Skechers collection means to them. Nadeau and Shigetani’s winning mosaics were chosen from a group of finalists that included students from 20 schools nationwide.
Since 2015, the BOBS from Skechers mission has been to help save and support shelter animals. For every BOBS purchase, a donation is made to animals in need. To date, BOBS from Skechers has donated more than $10 million through its product sales in the United States, Canada, UK, and Japan, which has helped save and support over 1.9 million dogs and cats in need. In partnership with Petco Love and support of its 4,000-animal welfare organization network in the US, Skechers helps fund pet adoptions, vaccinations, flight transports of animals to their future homes, and more.
See more here https://www.skechers.com/technologies/collections/bobs/
*editorial press provided for non-profit.
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