Jeffrey AronsonLand Rover has a well-deserved reputation as the vehicle of choice for organizations, big and small, that seek to make a difference in the world. To carry this forward in North America, Jaguar Land Rover created the Defender Service Awards. Working with additional corporate sponsors, JLR will donate a Defender 130 to five different organizations in the US and Canada.
Joe Eberhardt, CEO of JLR, said “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.”
The categories include Animal and Wildlife Welfare; Community Service; Search, Rescue and Emergency Support; Veterans and Civil Service Outreach; and Outdoor Accessibility and Education. From hundreds of entries, Land Rover whittled down the finalists and opened up the decision-making to supporters of each agency. Supporters could cast one vote per day online through October 4.
The combined sponsorships of JLR, Chase, Warner Brothers Discovery and Animal Planet channels, ei3 and PELICAN will award every finalist $5,000. The winner in each category will receive $25,000 and a Defender 130 kitted out to their needs. (Ottawa Valley Search and Rescue/Sauvetage Bénévole Outaouais displayed their 2022 Defender 130 at the ANARC Diamond Jubilee.)
The voting tabulation would not be completed until after we went to press, but we send our congratulations to every organization that made it to the finals. We also commend JLR for recognizing the importance of service to the marque.
Jeffrey Aronson
Editor, Rovers Magazine
View the 2023 Defender Service Awards video on your mobile device
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcZhPRY3a-k
