On Saturday March 24, hundreds of thousands of protestors around the country are expected to join the March For Our Lives' main event in Washington D.C., and the hundreds of satellite marches scheduled to take place internationally. As is the case with with most large demonstrations, the subject of transportation will be one to watch at various March Of Our Lives events, especially since the type of closed areas that protests demand makes private travel complicated. That's where Lyft's discount for March For Our Lives comes in.
Earlier in March, the ride-sharing company announced in an open letter that it will offer free rides to March For Our Lives rallies across the country. The letter was written to students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the site of the Feb. 14 mass shooting in Parkland, Florida.
It reads,
We believe there is something seriously wrong when the threat of gun violence is so frequent and real throughout our country. And like many, we are inspired by your leadership. We’d be honored to support your work with free Lyft rides to March for Our Lives rallies across the country on March 24 (please remember, anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.)
The letter was posted on Twitter by Cameron Kasky, a student activist and junior at Stoneman Douglas High.
Lyft has since announced more specifics about its offer. The company is offering free rides to rallies in 50 cities across the United States, including Manhattan, Miami, Los Angeles, and New Orleans. The complete list is featured in a blog post on the company's website.
Taking advantage of the offer requires an RSVP to one of the March For Our Lives events included in the 50-city list. Those who RSVP will then receive a code to use within Lyft's app. The offer has its limits, though. Lyft will only offer free rides up to a total of $1.5 million, and has encouraged protesters to RSVP early in order to reap the benefits of the offer.
The prospect of a free ride from Lyft will no doubt be of interest to protestors as some of the most crowded March Of Our Lives rallies on Saturday.
In its letter to Stoneman Douglas students, Lyft also heaped praise upon activists for offering "renewed" hope for the future.
"Recent tragedies have created a lot of fear and uncertainty, and as new parents those feelings have taken on new meaning," the company's co-founders wrote in their open letter. "Your bravery and intelligence have provided a renewed and much needed hope for our future. We are incredibly grateful for the example you are setting. Thank you for speaking up and showing the world that young people can drive meaningful change."
Lyft is on the long list of notable figures and organizations who have offered public support to the March For Our Lives. The Los Angeles march will be attended by some of Hollywood's biggest starts, including actresses Amy Schumer, Olivia Wilde, and Yara Shahidi.
"We are witnessing our generation, actively come together, in a global conversation, demanding action from lawmakers to invest in and assure our right to safety,” Shahidi said in a statement, per USA Today. “I am inspired and motivated to continue to contribute through action."
The march has also received two separate pledges of $500,000 donations, one from Oprah Winfrey and another from George and Amal Clooney. "These inspiring young people remind me of the Freedom Riders of the 60s who also said we’ve had ENOUGH and our voices will be heard," Oprah tweeted on Feb. 20.
Now Lyft can be counted among the high profile supporters, with the company pledging to offer free rides to those supporting the cause at rallies across the country.
