It’s no surprise that anyone who loves adventure will swoon over the legendary capability of a Defender. Now imagine how the people behind a mission-driven nonprofit feel as they put all that power and promise to work feeding the hungry, rehabilitating the injured and sick, and even saving human and animal lives. That’s why the Defender Service Awards Presented by CHASE is so popular. Since 2021, the program has delivered 30 custom Defender models and more than $1 million to help selfless organizations in the United States and Canada that provide vital services to local communities in need.
After 30 finalists in six categories were chosen from this year’s entries, public voting determined the overall winners. The results were announced at last month’s Destination Defender in Temecula, California. These six charitable organizations will each take home a customized Defender 130 to support their work transporting people, gear, animals, and more—especially in remote and hard-to-reach areas.
It gets better. All winners and finalists also receive funding. Winners get $30,000 each from the category sponsor, plus $5,000 from presenting partner CHASE. In fact, CHASE donates $5,000 to each of the 30 finalists, for a total of $150,000 in support. And thanks to premier partner Artemis and additional sponsors, second‑place finalists were also recognized with $10,000 each. Add it all up, and the fifth annual Defender Service Awards distributed $390,000 in prize funding.
Here are the winners and how the Defender Service Awards are, as one winner put it, “a force multiplier” for good.
Animal, Wildlife & Marine Mammal Welfare Award, Presented by Disney
Winner: Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society (Vancouver, British Columbia)
British Columbia features almost 16,000 miles of rich and rugged coastline and is home to a quarter of all known marine mammal species. When they’re in trouble, the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society’s army of 200 volunteers swoops in to the rescue. As the only animal hospital in Canada committed solely to rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing marine mammals, they reach entangled sea lions, beached dolphins, and orphaned otters wherever they are: city marinas, remote and wave-bashed islands, rough coastal roads, and more.
Incredibly, the volunteers accomplish this throughout the province with just one dedicated rescue vehicle and their own cars or even rental vehicles. For the imperiled sea mammals of British Columbia, a Defender 130 truly changes the game.
“With its off-road capability, cargo space, and towing capacity, we can respond faster, carry more gear, and keep our team safer,” says executive director Dr. Martin Haulena. “And for us, temperature control isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity. For sea otters and sea turtles, maintaining stable transport temperatures can mean the difference between life and death.”
Community Services Award, Presented by ei3
Winner: Feeding Northeast Florida (Jacksonville, Florida)
In northeast Florida, 310,000 people, including almost 94,000 children, risk going without meals every day—that’s one in five children and one in seven adults. But they’re not alone: Feeding Northeast Florida rescues millions of pounds of food from becoming waste, turning them into nutritious groceries across 12 counties. A fleet of 20 trucks helps move food from retail donors to the organization’s warehouse. But there’s a missing piece.
“To engage every neighbor, we need a vehicle as versatile as our mission—one that can handle farm pickups, flood zones, and rural dirt roads,” the nonprofit’s team said in their video submission. “The Defender 130 isn’t just a vehicle—it’s a force multiplier for our mission.”
With the Defender 130, Feeding Northeast Florida can reach people isolated by severe weather disasters, support rural partners with nutrition education, and build gardens in food deserts. “It allows us to go the extra mile to support people who don’t know where their next meal is coming from,” says president and CEO Susan King. “It ensures that the food bank is ready to respond to any situation, even in hard-to-reach neighborhoods.”
Search, Rescue & Emergency Support Services Award, Presented by PELICAN
Winner: Chilliwack Search & Rescue (Chilliwack, British Columbia)
The high peaks, remote lakes, wild rivers, and thousands of miles of trail that make the Fraser River Valley catnip to hikers, climbers, bikers, paddlers, and anglers also make it the fourth-busiest SAR area in Canada. Each year, 45 volunteers from Chilliwack Search & Rescue respond to more than 100 calls—everything from lost hikers to long-line helicopter extractions to swiftwater rescues—and 40 percent of these emergencies happen miles beyond the pavement.
In the past, Chilliwack Search & Rescue relied on a few heavy trucks that struggled in technical terrain and UTVs that got close to emergencies but left the injured person exposed. A Defender 130 can roll up close to an emergency while offering room for essential gear and treatment in a temperature-controlled space.
“Where our current truck stops at the trailhead, the Defender can keep going—saving time, preserving energy, and improving outcomes for both subjects and rescuers alike,” says Chilliwack SAR volunteer Tom Pearson. “When every second counts, rapid access really matters, and with the right tools we can do what we do best—saving lives and bringing people home.”
Veteran & Civil Servant Outreach Award, Presented by Hearts & Science
Winner: Jason’s Box (Paris, Kentucky)
When combat veterans return home with catastrophic physical injuries, the mental damage often lingers, making it hard to reintegrate into civilian life and putting them at high risk for self-harm. Jason’s Box empowers combat vets—most of whom are multilimb amputees with PTSD or traumatic brain injuries—to heal and forge better relationships through free access to outdoor activities like equine therapy, beekeeping, fishing, hunting, and off-roading. With plans to expand into kayaking, gardening, agritherapy, and beyond, Jason’s Box will use the Defender 130’s eight-passenger capacity and towing power to carry vets, wheelchairs, gear, clothing, and food—without relying on renting, which saves money for essential services.
“Winning this vehicle makes a significant and lasting positive impact on a small sector of our American society that has sacrificed so much,” says volunteer director Joseph Tirone.
Outdoor Accessibility & Education Award, Presented by Outside Interactive
Winner: Starlight Children’s Foundation Canada (Dorval, Québec)
For seriously ill children and those with accessibility challenges, an outdoor escape can offer fun, peace, and an empowering revelation into how adventurous their lives can be. Starlight Children’s Foundation Canada gets kids out of the hospital and onto the trail, snow, or water to feel a joyful rush regardless of medical condition or adaptive need. Its signature program, Motomax, puts kids in the passenger or driver’s seat of ATVs, snowmobiles, and even hovercrafts. Beyond hauling vehicles, kids, and gear to support these missions, the Defender 130 offers critical backup as a rock-solid recovery vehicle in remote areas for kids with sensitive medical needs.
“This is simply not just a truck,” says Starlight volunteer Johnathan Rothman. “This will be a trusted teammate that will help us bring joy, accessibility, and adventure to the Children of Starlight Canada.”
Defender Service Honorees Award, Presented by S&P Global
Winner: West Place Animal Sanctuary (Tiverton, Rhode Island)
In 2003, Wendy Taylor lost nine animals to a catastrophic house fire. But she turned tragedy into triumph by opening her Rhode Island estate and transforming it into West Place Animal Sanctuary, which provides a haven on eight acres for more than 300 farm animals and wildlife that have escaped abuse, cruelty, or neglect. Residents include everything from cows and horses to turtles and golden pheasants, all living their lives in peace and safety. West Place also rescues, rehabilitates, and releases injured wildlife from all five counties in the state.
“We transport animals to and from veterinary hospitals, since vets can’t always come to the farm,” says Patrick Cole, director of grants and communications. “We’re working with Land Rover to customize this Defender to meet our needs—things like a roof rack to attach a kayak for water rescues when animals get caught in fishing lines. We also go out on ice, so we’re discussing all-weather features.”
“We need a vehicle that can handle mud, hay, fur, and everything that comes with our job,” says founder and executive director Wendy Taylor. “It will be advocacy and awareness on wheels.”
Defender embraces the impossible. Each member of the Defender family is purposefully designed, highly desirable, and seriously durable. A modern-day hero that respects the past while anticipating the future. Available in 90, 110, and 130 body styles and up to eight seats, each has a charisma of its own. A beacon of liberty since 1948, Defender supports humanitarian and conservation work with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Tusk Trust. The Defender brand is underpinned by Land Rover—a mark of trust built on 75 years of expertise in technology and world-leading off-road capability. Defender is designed and engineered in the UK and sold in 121 countries. It belongs to the JLR house of brands, alongside Range Rover, Discovery, and Jaguar.
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