Beverly Hills, CA (July 10, 2011)‑ At a private reception held today to mark the launch of the Tusk Trust's US Patrons Circle attended by Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Land Rover donated a 2012 Land Rover Defender 110 to the Trust's founder and CEO, Charles Mayhew MBE. Tusk Trust has been supporting wildlife conservation, communities and education in Africa since 1990, and is highly respected for the programs that it supports. The Duke of Cambridge, who has long held a deep interest in Africa, its people and wildlife, has been the charity's Royal Patron since 2005.
Land Rover donated the vehicle to further Tusk's philanthropic work in Africa, which currently supports approximately 40 conservation programs in 17 countries across the continent. In addition to the donation, Land Rover provided Range Rovers and LR4s for the event's VIP transportation, as well as for display.
"Land Rover vehicles have a strong philanthropic history and we're pleased to sustain the heritage of the brand through the donation of a Land Rover vehicle to the Tusk Trust," said Andy Goss, President of Jaguar Land Rover North America. "We are honored to have our vehicles support Tusk's outstanding ongoing conservation efforts in Africa, and thrilled that their Their Royal Highnesses, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, were personally able to attend this very important charitable event today."
Land Rover has supported Tusk for more than a decade, acting as the principal vehicle used by the charity's project managers for much of their conservation work. The company also supports Tusk's annual Safaricom Marathon in Kenya, providing fleets of vehicles to help transport VIPs and overseas runners during the event. Additionally, to mark Tusk's 20th Anniversary in 2010, Prince William presented a new Land Rover Defender to a wildlife project in Botswana during his Royal Tour to visit Tusk projects Southern Africa.
"We are enormously grateful to Land Rover for their support of this important Royal reception in Beverly Hills and the donation of the Defender 110 Station Wagon for our work in Africa, said Charles Mayhew, founder & CEO Tusk Trust. "Tusk and Land Rover have enjoyed a longstanding and mutually beneficial relationship in Africa, where their vehicles have become the reliable 'work‑horses' of many of our projects."
Tusk hosted the event here in Beverly Hills to raise awareness in the US of its conservation and community development work in Africa. At the reception, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge met a number of high profile philanthropists and donors who have supported the Charity.
The Defender can trace its roots back to 1948 and during that period Land Rovers have earned a reputation as the most rugged and versatile off‑road vehicles in the world. Retail and utility customers, armed forces and NGOs in over 100 countries believe that the Land Rover and Range Rover vehicles's off‑road ability, durability and towing capability are still head and shoulders above the competition.
About Land Rover
Since 1948 Land Rover has been manufacturing authentic 4x4s that represent true "breadth of capability" across the model range. Defender, LR2 (Freelander 2), LR4 (Discovery 4), Range Rover Sport and Range Rover each define the world's 4x4 sectors, with 78% of this model range exported to over 140 countries. Land Rover employs 8,500 people and supports a further 40,000 jobs supported in the supply chain. Land Rover takes its responsibility to the environment seriously. Emissions have been cut with all new models and, together with Jaguar, Land Rover is investing £800m on technology specifically aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Since September 2006, carbon dioxide generated by Land Rover manufacturing activities and UK customer vehicle use has been balanced through an industry leading offset program run by Climate Care.