Land Rover Main Line kicks off cross-country book donation tour
Land Rover Main Line Kicked Off Cross-Country Book Donation Tour with Philadelphia Stop
Wayne-based retailer began 18-day journey delivering 37,500 books to underserved schools nationwide
Land Rover Main Line kicked off a nationwide literacy initiative Monday afternoon with a 2,500-book donation to Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School, marking the first stop on an 18-day cross-country trek to support underserved communities.
The Defender Book Trek launched at 2:15 p.m. October 27 at the North Philadelphia high school, where students accepted the donation on behalf of Cristo Rey and its 14 feeder schools throughout the region. Michael Smyth, president and chief operating officer of Land Rover Main Line, and Tom Shoemaker, president and CEO of Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School, joined students with pom-poms and cowbells, along with the school mascots, to celebrate the book donation at Cristo Rey.
1. Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School students and mascots celebrate with Michael Smyth and Tom Shoemaker as Land Rover Main Line launches the Defender Book Trek with a 2,500-book donation.
A specially outfitted Defender 110 SUV and trailer then began traveling more than 3,350 miles, stopping at 15 Land Rover retailers across the United States. Each location will donate approximately 2,500 children’s books to local schools and organizations, totaling roughly 37,500 books by journey’s end.
“Since inception, the Defender legacy of vehicles has been used around the world in service to their communities,” said Michael Smyth, president and chief operating officer of Land Rover Main Line in Wayne. “The Defender Book Trek allows our team to honor that legacy locally by supporting Cristo Rey and their mission to help young students achieve their full potential.”
The initiative connected Land Rover’s off-road heritage with community service, leveraging the brand’s rugged vehicle platform for educational access rather than adventure travel.
Tom Shoemaker, president and CEO of Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School, said the donation extended far beyond the school’s 550 students. “Access to books opens doors to opportunity,” Shoemaker said. “This gift will touch the lives of thousands of children in our feeder schools, inspiring a love of reading and learning across the region.”
Cristo Rey Philadelphia operates a network model, working with elementary and middle schools primarily in North Philadelphia to prepare students for the Catholic high school’s college preparatory curriculum and corporate work-study program.
The trek will conclude November 14 in Temecula, California, with a final book presentation to the Boys and Girls Club of Temecula, followed by the Destination Defender Adventure Festival featuring off-road driving experiences, food, music and brand exhibitions.
2. The Defender Book Trek arrives at Cristo Rey High School in North Philadelphia as students await the delivery of 2,500 books donated by Land Rover Main Line.
3. The Cristo Rey High School mascot welcomes the arrival of the Defender Book Trek.
4. Tak Papariello, General Manager Land Rover Main Line, unloads the Defender Book Trek as 6ABC and NBC10 cover the donation for the evening news.
5. Land Rover Main Line team Mike Shevlin, Giorgi Surabischwili, Neila Mooney, Anaisa Brown, Michael Smyth, Tak Papariello, Bryan Durkan, and Ali Camur (left to right) gather 2,500 books at their Wayne location in preparation for the donation to Cristo Rey High School for the kick-off of the Defender Book Trek.
6. Cristo Rey High School mascots and students dive into the new books donated by Land Rover Main Line.
