Gaydon, England – As part of its 60th anniversary celebrations, Land Rover has donated 60 vehicles to the British Red Cross Society and its sister national societies around the world. The vehicles were officially handed over to the Prince of Wales, the President of the Red Cross, during a garden party at Buckingham Palace.

The vehicles, a mixture of the Defender, Discovery and Freelander models, were arranged in the form of the Red Cross flag on the palace grounds.

Half of the donated vehicles will be taken across the globe, where they will be used to assist in natural disaster operations such as cyclones, floods and earthquakes. National societies in Sierra Leone, Lesotho and Mongolia are among those who will receive vehicles. The remainder will be dispersed throughout the U.K. to help with regional operations such as local flooding, off-road emergencies and public events. Some will receive minor conversions into ambulances and be fitted with emergency vehicle equipment, as well as stretchers and medical kits.

The donation is in addition to Land Rover’s commitment to raise more than £1 million for the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies during the next two Land Rover G4 Challenge events.

For more information, go to http://www.redcross.org.uk/news.asp?id=82979