LAND ROVER ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF THE SECOND ANNUAL ‘DEFENDER SERVICE AWARDS’

(MAHWAH, N.J.) – November 14, 2022 - Land Rover USA has announced the five winners of the second annual ‘Defender Service Awards’ presented by Chase during a celebratory event at Destination Defender in Saugerties, New York.  The event featured Defender inspired experiences including, live music, adventure activities, guest camping and glamping sites, learning seminars, heritage display, and an evening celebration announcing this year’s Defender Service Awards winners. First and second place finalists per category joined the celebration and shared their mission of service in front of an audience of over 400 attendees.

The charitable organizations listed below have been recognized for their outstanding service and unwavering loyalty to their local communities. The winners across the five categories, based on public vote are as follows:

1. Pelican Search and Rescue Award: Sauvetage Bénévole Outaouais - Ottawa Volunteer Search and Rescue (Ottawa, ON)

Established in 1996, Sauvetage Bénévole Outaouais - Ottawa Volunteer Search and Rescue (SBO-OVSAR) is a federally incorporated, charitable, volunteer-based search and rescue organization serving Western Quebec and Eastern Ontario. Their mission is to provide search and rescue services, assist communities during emergencies and deliver public education programs to help people enjoy the outdoors safely.

2. dentsu x Veterans Outreach Award: Patriot Service Dogs (Marion County, FL) 

Patriot Service Dogs trains service dogs for veterans without charge. Their dogs are trained to assist with issues such as PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, mobility issues, and military sexual trauma. They support all honorably discharged veterans who would benefit from a service dog.

3. KONG Animal Welfare Award: Appalachian Bear Rescue (Townsend, TN) 

Appalachian Bear Rescue (ABR) cares for orphaned and injured black bear cubs for return to their natural wild habitat; increases public awareness about coexisting with black bears; and studies all aspects of returning cubs to the wild. For over 26 years, they have cared for over 360 young bears from nine states and the National Park Service.

4. ei3 Community Services Award: Mercy Chefs (Portsmouth, VA) 

Mercy Chefs is a faith-based, non-profit disaster relief organization. Mercy Chefs exists to provide professionally prepared, restaurant-quality meals and clean water to victims, volunteers, and first responders in natural disasters and national emergencies, and partners with existing like-minded organizations to further their mission by providing food service in underserved communities across the country. Since its founding, Mercy Chefs has served over 20 million meals in 150 disasters, 29 states, and 12 countries. All of this has been done with the help of over 10,000 volunteers.

5.OUTSIDE Interactive, Inc. Environmental and Conservation Award: Green Lake Association (Green Lake, WI) Our lakes are in trouble. Human impacts and climate change continue to threaten our precious land and water resources. The Green Lake Association is a nonprofit organization committed to safeguarding the deepest natural inland lake in Wisconsin and modeling its approach for cleaner lakes within the Lake Michigan basin and across the globe. Pivotal accomplishments include restoring a brook trout species missing for 70 years and shrinking community alert times for harmful algal bloom from weeks to minutes. This small but powerful organization is setting a new standard for lake organizations that are tackling the greatest water quality challenges of our time.

The winning organizations will be awarded a custom Land Rover Defender 130 SUV that will aid them in executing their work with ease. The Defender 130 vehicle is all new for 2023, featuring three rows of seating for up to eight people and 88.9 cubic feet (2,516 liters) of load capacity. The Defender 130 vehicle is fully capable of assisting these organizations with transporting animals, gear or volunteers. 

Category sponsors, OUTSIDE Interactive Inc., ei3, Pelican, KONG, dentsu x each generously awarded $25,000 to their category winner.

Runners up didn’t go home empty handed, as Land Rover will award each of the 5 second place finalists with an additional $10,000. As the presenting sponsor, Chase, will donate $5,000 to each of the five finalists per category, totaling $125,000 in prize money to further recognize these organizations' incredible service works. 

To learn more about the 2022 Land Rover Defender and the Defender Service Awards Presented by Chase, please visit LandRoverUSA.com.