Land Rover Awards Defender SUVs to Local Community Groups

Again this year, Land Rover is honoring local groups and charities which make a positive impact on their communities by giving away fully customized and equipped Defender 130 rescue vehicles, designed to save lives.

You have until Oct. 17 to vote for one of the six finalists, who will receive a fully-outfitted rescue vehicle to assist with their life-saving mission.

Land Rover Defender announces the fourth annual 'Defender Service Awards' presented by CHASE, supporting the brands humanitarian and conservation work around the globe_ecoXplorer — Photo: Land Rover

This is the fourth annual ‘Defender Service Awards’ presented by CHASE, supporting U.S., Puerto Rican and Canadian organizations with a customized Defender 130 plus financial support.

Organizations had to apply by July 29, 2024, under one of six award categories –

Veteran’s and Civil Servant Outreach;
Community Services;
Search, Rescue and Emergency Support Services;
Outdoor Accessibility and Education;
Animal, Wildlife and Marine Mammal Welfare;
Defender Service Honorees

Entrants had to submit a video and be U.S. 501(c)(3)1/Canadian registered charity whose efforts fall within one of the six categories

CHASE, the presenting sponsor, will donate $5,000 to each of the 30 category finalists.

Category sponsors, including Hearts and Science, PELICAN, OUTSIDE Interactive inc., ei³ and Disney will donate $25,000 to category winners

Each winning organization will receive a fully customized Defender 130 vehicle to help their work go further.

Featuring three rows of seating for up to eight people, along with 88.9 cubic feet (2,516 litres) of load capacity, the Defender 130 is fully capable of assisting these organizations with their mission of service.

The winners will collaborate with the Defender team to fully outfit their vehicle with Defender accessories required for their organization’s needs, along with a custom exterior vehicle wrap.

Corporate partners are providing additional support for the respective organizations across the different categories.

As presenting sponsor, CHASE will donate $5,000 to each of the five finalists per category, for a total of $150,000 across 30 finalists. Category sponsors include OUTSIDE Interactive Inc., ei³, PELICAN, Hearts & Sciences and Disney. Each category sponsor will also donate $25,000 to its respective category winner.

Entrants can nominate organizations, or organizations can nominate themselves by filling out the entry form and submitting a video (up to three minutes) that details the organization’s mission, how it addresses a need in their community, and how a Defender 130 will help to further their efforts.

Submissions are open through July 29, 2024, followed by a judging period by a panel of qualified judges.

The finalists’ videos will be posted on Landroverusa.com and www.landrover.ca for public voting beginning in October, and winners will be announced in the fall 2024.

Vote here.

Winners of last year’s 2023 Defender Service Awards include Squamish Search and Rescue Society for the Pelican Search and Rescue Award; Honour House Society for the Hearts & Science Veterans Outreach Award; Manitoba Underdogs Rescue for the Animal Planet Animal Welfare Award; Kairos Adventures for the ei³ Community Services Award; and Youth Sports Alliance for the OUTSIDE Interactive, Inc. Outdoor Accessibility and Education Award.

Each winning organization was awarded with a Defender 130 to further their efforts within their respective communities.

Since 2021, $700,000 in monetary awards and 18 Defender models have been provided to organizations across the US and Canada.

About the Defender Family of SUVs

The Defender family of models, 90, 110, 130, continues to expand and evolve to suit the many uses by their owners. Defender OCTA, the new high-performance hero will be available in North America for the 2025 model year.

The V8 Twin Turbo mild-hybrid Defender gasoline OCTA will offer an unparalleled breadth of capability, comfort and composure, whether on-road or off-road. New for 2025 model year, optional second-row Captain Chairs are available in the Defender 130 to provide comfort and luxury with aisle access to the spacious third row.

For more information on the ‘Defender Service Awards’ presented by CHASE, please visit LandRoverUSA.com or www.landrover.ca.

ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter is a journalist with 25+ years of experience as a newspaper and magazine writer, radio & TV news producer & reporter, and author of guidebooks and smartphone apps – all focusing on travel, automotive, the environment and your rights as a consumer.