As Lyft launches in Toronto, the ride-sharing company announced a partnership with SickKids.
Lyft’s Round Up and Donate initiative allows Lyft riders to round up each fare to the nearest dollar for a cause of their choice. To celebrate its Toronto launch, Lyft will round up the fares on their end throughout December for the SickKids Foundation.
In January, Torontonians will be able to round up and donate to a cause of their choice.
During a press event that saw Blue Jays’ Marcus Stroman and a SickKids patient ambassador order the first Lyft ride delivering toys to the hospital, Lyft general manager Tim Houghton indicated several times that Lyft’s success comes from “treating people better.”
While he didn’t say Uber’s name outright, Lyft has used its treatment of drivers and passengers as a key differentiator from its competitor, which has had stories of a culture of sexual harassment — and most recently, a major security breach — come to light.
Houghton would not say how many drivers it has in Toronto, only that it has “more than 100.”
Lyft confirmed just yesterday that it is launching in Toronto today; this is its first expansion outside the US.