Land Rover, inspired by selfless and passionate acts of service across the US and Canada, launched the second annual Defender Service Awards to celebrate charitable organizations’ positive impact on their local communities. The premium 4WD vehicle brand is donating a custom-outfitted Defender 130 SUV to five organizations to help further their philanthropic efforts in honor of over 70 years of the Land Rover Defender supporting humanitarian agencies worldwide. In addition to the award of the Defender 130, partner brands have joined Defender Service Awards to recognize these organizations’ invaluable service works further. Chase Bank, the presenting sponsor, will donate $5,000 to each of the five finalists per category, totaling $125,000 in prize money.
To be considered for the awards, organizations have to be US-based 501(c)(3) non-profits and Canadian-registered charities whose efforts fall within the five categories outlined in the program. Public voting for the five finalists for each category will take place between October 21 to November 6 to determine the ultimate winners.
Winners of this year’s Defender Service Awards will be announced at Destination Defender, a premium weekend celebration curated for the Defender enthusiast. Taking place from November 12-13, 2022, at Oz Farm in Saugerties, New York, the event will feature Defender-inspired experiences, including live music, adventure activities, guest camping and glamping sites, learning seminars, heritage display, and an evening celebration announcing this year’s Defender Service Awards winners.
The finalists across all five categories are as follows:
Animal Welfare Award, Presented by KONG
- Appalachian Bear Rescue (Townsend, TN)
- Charleston Animal Society (North Charleston, SC)
- Pitiful Paws Rescue (Chesapeake, OH)
- Ruff Haven Crisis Sheltering (Salt Lake City, UT)
- The Barnyard Sanctuary (Columbia, NJ)
Veterans Outreach Award, Presented by dentsu x
- Military Mobility (Cody, WY)
- Patriot Service Dogs (Marion County, FL)
- Travis Mills Foundation (Mt. Vernon, ME)
- Helping Heroes Hunt (Quitman, TX)
- Warrior Freedom Service Dogs (Flintstone, GA)
Environmental and Conservation Award, Presented by OUTSIDE Interactive Inc:
- Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (New Orleans, LA)
- Raincoast Conservation Foundation (Sidney, British Columbia)
- Green Lake Association (Green Lake, WI)
- Kupu (Honolulu, HI)
- Henry’s Fork Foundation (Ashton, ID)
Community Services Award, Presented by ei3:
- Community Support Connections (Waterloo Region, Ontario)
- Mercy Chefs (Portsmouth, VA)
- Feedmore WNY (Buffalo, NY)
- Big City Mountaineers (Arvada, CO)
- CoolxDad (Houston, TX)
Search and Rescue Award, Presented by Pelican:
- Sauvetage Bénévole Outaouais Ottawa Volunteer Search and Rescue (Ottawa, Ontario)
- El Paso County Search and Rescue (Colorado Spring, CO)
- Alaska Dive Search, Rescue and Recovery (Anchorage, AK)
- Great Basin K-9 Search and Rescue, Inc. (Kamas, UT)
- Missouri Search and Rescue (Blue Springs, MO)
Joe Eberhardt, President and CEO of Jaguar Land Rover North America, said,
“Our sincere gratitude goes out to the over 800 charitable organizations who submitted entries for this year’s Defender Service Awards. The 25 finalists captured a special spirit of service, which is part of the fabric of our brand. We look forward to sharing the finalists’ entries with the public and wish them luck.”
To learn more about the 2022 Land Rover Defender, please visit LandRoverUSA.com.
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