Santa Monica residents can donate toys for local families in need Saturday while getting a firsthand look at the autonomous vehicles that will deliver the gifts across the city.
Waymo, the autonomous driving technology company, will station one of its self-driving vehicles at Santa Monica City Hall on Dec. 6 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. to collect donations for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica Annual Toy Drive. The collection coincides with Santa Cruise, an annual 6-mile celebratory skateboarding event from Santa Monica to Venice organized by local nonprofit Beyond the Board.
Community members who donate toys will receive a promotional code for a complimentary Waymo ride, allowing them to experience the same technology that will transport the collected gifts to more than 300 families throughout Santa Monica.
The toy collection will take place at City Hall, located at 1685 Main Street. Remarks from community leaders and partners are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m., with leadership from Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica, along with families and staff, speaking about the partnership's impact on local children and families.
After the event concludes, Waymo vehicles will deliver the collected toys to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica's office at 1220 Lincoln Blvd.
"We're proud to call Santa Monica home, and be part of this vibrant community," said Suzanne Philion, chief marketing officer at Waymo. "At Waymo, we're committed to improving road safety, making mobility more accessible, and serving our community. By using our autonomous vehicles to deliver toys to local families this holiday season, we're demonstrating how innovation can support the important work of organizations like Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica."
Philion added that the company was honored to stand alongside community partners and help bring joy to local children and families during the holidays.
Brynja Seagren, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica, expressed gratitude for Waymo's support of the holiday toy drive.
"We're grateful to Waymo for supporting Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica's Holiday Toy Drive and helping us create magical holiday memories for local kids," Seagren said. "We serve over 2,000 kids and teens each year and partnerships like this one show our members that innovative companies believe in their potential and their futures."
The partnership brings together Waymo's technology with the Boys & Girls Clubs' community service mission. The skateboarding event, which attracts more than 1,000 attendees annually, provides an opportunity for widespread community participation in the toy drive.
Waymo is an autonomous driving technology company that started as the Google Self-Driving Car Project in 2009. The company's fully autonomous ride-hailing service provides hundreds of thousands of rides every week in San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Austin and Atlanta.
According to the company, data shows Waymo's technology is involved in five times fewer injury-causing collisions compared to human drivers. The Waymo Driver has autonomously driven over 100 million miles on public roads and tens of billions in simulation across 15-plus U.S. states.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica provides a safe, positive environment where young people can develop the qualities needed to become responsible citizens and leaders. The organization serves over 2,000 kids and teens annually and offers programs focused on academic success, healthy lifestyles, and character and leadership development.
Beyond the Board is a Santa Monica-based skateboarding nonprofit dedicated to building community and promoting active lifestyles through skateboarding events and programs. The Santa Cruise event is one of the organization's signature annual gatherings.