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Idaho Trail Association, Camp Rainbow Gold finalists to win Defender

| September 21, 2023 1:00 AM

The Idaho Trails Association was named a finalist in the Outdoor Accessibility and Education Award in the third annual “Defender Service Awards” presented by CHASE, which embraces the Defender inner spirit of heroism and recognizes those who embody this.

"We were just floored — and so flattered — to hear we were selected as finalists in the Land Rover Defender Service Awards and are honored to be in the running with four other outstanding organizations,” said Melanie Vining, Idaho Trails Association executive director. “Winning a Land Rover Defender is a chance for ITA to remove a major barrier many face when it comes to volunteering on trails: transportation to the trailhead. We are grateful to Land Rover for providing this opportunity and to our fellow finalists for all they do to help get more people outside across the country."

The six winning organizations will each receive a fully customized Defender 130 and $25,000 by their category sponsor, empowering them to further their missions.

The three rows of seating will carry up to eight volunteers to empower the organizations on their mission of service.

“Through their compassionate acts of service and integrity, it is with great honor that we recognize these organizations that embody the heroism of Defender,” said Charlotte Blank, U.S. chief marketing officer, Jaguar Land Rover North America. “The Defender ethos is centered around achieving the impossible with a focus on giving back, and these organizations are nothing short of that. We are proud to celebrate their extraordinary achievements and dedication to their missions.”

The winners will collaborate with the Defender team to fully outfit their vehicle with accessories required to meet the challenges of the organization’s mission, along with a custom exterior vehicle wrap.

Corporate partners have joined this initiative to provide further support for the respective organizations across the categories.

Public voting will be open through Oct. 4 to determine the ultimate winners of the six categories of the 2023 Defender Service Awards. To view the finalist videos and vote, please visit Defender Service Awards at rb.gy/q6cis.

The Idaho finalists from the Outdoor Accessibility and Education Award category are:

• Camp Rainbow Gold (Boise) 

• Idaho Trails Association (Boise)

The winning organization from each category will be announced at this year’s Defender Service Awards at Destination Defender, presented by CHASE. The weekend celebration will take place Nov. 10-12 at Iron Horse Ranch in Somerville, Texas.