The seven non-profit winners of the Defender Above and Beyond Service Awards contest saw their new trucks in Asheville, North Carolina in late January. Each truck has been custom-wrapped and outfitted to the needs of their new stewards, and are heading to their new homes soon.
Back in March 2021, Land Rover announced the Above and Beyond Service Awards, which would award a free Defender 110 to a non-profit in each of seven categories: Coastal & Marine Conservation, Search & Rescue, First Responders, Animal Welfare, Fire Safety & Response, Urban Improvement and Environmental. The seven winners from across America gathered at The Biltmore in Asheville, NC to take the keys to their new trucks.
Each truck is outfitted to purpose, based on consulting Land Rover did with the new owners. The heaviest built one is for Wolfe County Search and Rescue in Kentucky, which performs rescues in remote areas of the Red River Gorge. It’s got a roof rack, lights, limb risers, side locker, and a winch. The Humane Society of Independence County, in Arkansas, went for the full interior protection package to keep the Defender lasting a long time as they rescue animals in remote and rugged rural areas. Hamptons Community Outreach went for a roof rack, which they’ll use to carry building supplies to repair homes for Hamptons residents who are far outside of the 1%. Navarre Beach, Florida won a Defender for their ocean rescue team, and went for a snorkel for when they needed to plow through hurricane floodwaters. The most subtle build was for Montgomery EMS in central New Jersey, which went for a subtle body protection pack and a full suite of emergency lights.
The trucks were handed over in a group training event, where Land Rover driving instructors took representatives from each charity around the trails at The Biltmore to learn how to use the Defenders’ technical systems. They’re all P300 four-cylinder base models, with steel wheels. With a light snow on the North Carolina mountains and a layer of mud under that, it was perfect terrain to teach a variety of skills.
Lest people think that their contributions to these groups have been spent on luxury 4x4s, each truck also has Above and Beyond Service Awards badging on the tailgate. However, there’s been enough local press about the awards that that shouldn’t be an issue – winning this national competition is something for all these groups to be proud of!
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