Through the Bronco Search and Rescue campaign at thedyrt.com/bronco-search-and-rescue, anyone can directly support SAR teams nationwide with every donation matched dollar-for-dollar by Ford Bronco to double the impact.
Why SAR Teams Need Support
Volunteer search and rescue teams respond to approximately 50,000 wilderness emergencies across the United States every year. These dedicated volunteers receive no federal funding and often operate with outdated equipment and limited resources, yet they drop everything: jobs, families, their lives to save strangers in distress.
Deputy Todd Rector, a SAR specialist who oversees roughly 80 volunteers in Colorado, puts it simply: “Those guys are why we have a successful search and rescue program.”
His team responds to 60 to 80 callouts annually. “Everything from pulling somebody out of the Wilsons with a helicopter… to somebody whose poodle chased a rabbit down a deer trail,” Todd says. Each callout demands the same level of volunteer commitment.
The Hidden Reality
Search and rescue work carries costs that don’t appear in mission reports. “There’s a very real effect on volunteers’ mental health down the road,” Todd acknowledges. In small mountain communities, “very often those people can be your friends, loved ones, neighbors.”
Yet volunteers keep showing up because someone has to. “We embrace anybody… it’s not just the mountain guide,” Todd explains. SAR teams need diverse skill sets, from technical rope systems to mapping software to logistics management.
Double Your Impact Through Donation Matching
The Ford Bronco donation matching program amplifies every contribution. A $50 donation becomes $100. A $100 donation becomes $200. Funds provide essential equipment, training, and operational support to volunteer teams who operate on shoestring budgets despite facing increasingly complex rescue scenarios.
Education and Preparedness
The partnership includes an in-depth editorial series exploring the realities of SAR work: the challenges, the triumphs, and the critical role volunteers play in keeping America’s wild spaces accessible and safe.
“Success in the backcountry comes through education and experience and preparation,” Todd says. The campaign emphasizes that outdoor adventurers have a responsibility to prepare properly and understand the human cost behind every emergency activation.
How to Support
Visit thedyrt.com/bronco-search-and-rescue to:
- Make a tax-deductible donation matched by Ford Bronco
- Read stories from SAR volunteers on the front lines
- Learn how to prepare for backcountry adventures
- Share the campaign to amplify impact
Every adventure into the wild carries risk. Every SAR volunteer stands ready to respond. This partnership ensures they have what they need when seconds count.
