Land Rover Donates 2012 Defender to Prince William's Charity

LAND ROVER DONATES 2012 DEFENDER TO TUSK TRUST: RENOWNED AFRICAN CONSERVATION CHARITY

DUKE AND DUCHESS ATTEND RECEPTION HONORING THE WORK OF TUSK

Their Royal Highnesses, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, attended a reception in Beverly Hills to launch Tusk's US Patrons Circle on July 10th 2011, where Land Rover donated a 2012 Land Rover Defender vehicle to aid the charity's work in Africa. Left to right: Charles Mayhew MBE, (founder and CEO Tusk), Meredith Ogilvie-Thompson (Tusk USA Executive Director), TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Iain Rawlinson (Chairman of Tusk) Photo credit: Chris Jackson / Getty Images

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.

Their Royal Highnesses, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, attended a reception in Beverly Hills to launch Tusk's US Patrons Circle on July 10th 2011, where Land Rover donated a 2012 Land Rover Defender vehicle to aid the charity's work in Africa. Left to right: Charles Mayhew MBE, (founder and CEO Tusk) and HRH The Duke of Cambridge. Photo credit: Chris Jackson / Getty Images

"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.