The winners of the 2022 Defender Service Awards have started taking delivery of their new vehicles, with some of the five non-profits taking home a brand-new custom-equipped Defender 130.
The winners of the 2022 Defender Service Awards have started taking delivery of their new vehicles, with some of the five non-profits taking home a brand-new custom-equipped Defender 130.
The five vehicles were awarded to non-profits in five categories. Of them, three have announced taking delivery so far, with Sauvetage Bénévole Outaouais –Ottawa Volunteer Search and Rescue in Ottawa, Ontario slightly behind schedule due to delivery issues with their Canadian-specification vehicle. The Green Lake Association in Wisconsin hasn't posted online about getting their Defender yet, but will likely take delivery soon. Each organization won its vehicles alongside a $25,000 contribution from their category’s sponsor.
Appalachian Bear Rescue (ABR) took delivery of their Defender 130 at Land Rover Knoxville, as their spoils for winning the Animal Welfare category. Equipped with all-terrain tires, a front protection package, side steps, and a roof rack with an access ladder, the simple but classy build will help Appalachian Bear Rescue to further its mission: rehabilitating black bears that have been orphaned, abandoned, or injured in Eastern Tennessee. In addition to the Defender, which was supplied by Jaguar Land Rover and delivered via Land Rover Knoxville, the dealership has announced a partnership with ABR to sponsor its education programs. They also received their $25,000 donation from pet toy maker Kong.
ABR made their first rescue with the Defender on February 26th, a severely underweight and wounded young male black bear. The Defender transported him to the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine in Knoxville, where he was cared for. All of ABR's bear rescues are named, and this one was named HRH Rover Bear, in honor of being the Defender's first ursine passenger. He's only the second HRH bear in their history, but the special occasion deserved it!
Patriot Service Dogs (PSD) in Florida won the Veterans Outreach category. They pair well-trained service dogs with veterans, free of charge. The organization was founded in 2009 in Central Florida, and their team of over 100 volunteers places service dogs around the country. They took delivery of their Defender from Land Rover Ocala, with the handover event held in an airplane hanger with local caterers providing snacks. Their Defender will help transport the dogs around the area, where PSD takes the dogs to be socalized and trained in various settings. Their $25,000 donation came from dentsu x, a branding and marketing firm.
Mercy Chefs in Portsmouth, Virginia, took delivery of their vehicle from Land Rover Virginia Beach. Their mission is simple: "Just Go Feed People." The faith-based non-profit provides professionally prepared, restaurant-quality meals and clean water to victims, volunteers, and first responders in natural disasters and national emergencies. The numbers that describe the organization are all superlative: over 10,000 volunteers, 20 million meals served in over 150 disasters, all in 29 states and 12 countries. The Defender will help them organize their logistics and plan their relief efforts. The extra $25,000 contribution came from category sponsor ei3, a software-as-a-service company.
For the four non-finalists in each of the five categories, Land Rover donated an additional $1,000 -- on top of the $5,000 that was donated by Chase to all of the finalists. For the second year, the Defender Service Awards have been a triumph for non-profits, and gives Land Rover nerds the added benefit of seeing new Defenders in proper utility use!
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