Land Rover aims to make a big impact on small charitable organizations with its third annual Defender Service Awards. The program recognizes non-profits and organizations in the U.S., Canada, District of Columbia and Puerto Rico that make a positive impact on their local communities.
Award winners get more than just name recognition. They get a Defender 130, a three-row, off-road capable sport utility vehicle (SUV) to help them go about their mission. Defender 130 is the latest addition to the company's lineup and is the largest Defender on the market today.
Each winner's Defender will be customized to fit the organization's needs, including a custom exterior vehicle wrap. Accessories added to previous winners' Defenders include a ladder, specialty roof rack and roof-mounted lights.
New for 2023, finalists and winners will be eligible to receive a donation to their organization courtesy of two program sponsors, Chase and Warner Bros. Chase will donate $5,000 to each of the five finalists per category. Warner Bros. will award $2,500 to each finalist.
Certain award categories are also sponsored. The winners in those categories will receive an additional $25,000 each.
"The 'Defender Service Awards' are a beloved initiative that we are proud to bring back for a third year. Celebrating the organizations that make a difference in our communities speaks to the core of the Defender brand that it is most powerful when it's on a mission to help others," Joe Eberhardt, President and CEO of Jaguar Land Rover North America said in a press release.
There are six Defender Service Awards categories in 2023:
- Veteran's & Civil Servant Outreach Award Presented by Hearts & Science
- Community Services Award Presented by ei3
- Search, Rescue & Emergency Support Services Award Presented by Pelican
- Outdoor Accessibility & Education Awards Presented by Outside Interactive Inc
- Animal, Wildlife & Marine Mammal Welfare Award Presented by Animal Planet
- The Defender Service Honorees, 2021 & 2022 Finalists
To enter, organizations can be nominated or self-nominate by filling out an entry form on Land Rover's website and submitting a video up to three minutes in length that details the organization's mission, how it fills a need in the community, and how a Defender 130 would further their efforts.
Submissions are open from June 15, 2023 to July 21, 2023. Winners will be announced in the autumn.
Previous winners of the awards include Sauvetage Bénévole Outaouais - Ottawa Volunteer Search and Rescue, Patriot Service Dogs, Appalachian Bear Rescue, Mercy Chefs and the Green Lake Association.
In 2022, Land Rover's Defender Service Awards program won the Marketing award during Newsweek's World's Greatest Auto Disruptors Awards.
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Eileen Falkenberg-Hull leads the Autos team at Newsweek. She has written extensively about the auto industry for U.S. News & ... Read more
