While the community still pays a lot of traffic fines for regulatory violations, the government
is slowly coming around. The Ministry of Sports and Tourism has recruited the group's help since 2010 and officially recognized 4X4 as a legitimate sport in 2014.
"We came through the highway of hell!" Minh Phan says of that 2009 relief run through Lam Dong. "No car had ever come through that road, only bikes that are light enough to carry through the mud. That's when when we started working with the government—they would ask "can you bring doctors or charity supplies to this area?'"
While sometimes working alongside the government, Vulcan 4X4 will work directly with charitable organizations in need. With 4X4 clubs now spread across the county, the community can quickly mobilize the nearest off-road vehicles to assist in relief efforts. The 4X4 community has a group of doctors it regularly delivers to far-flung regions, for instance, and it keeps in contact with various charity groups that already have the infrastructure in place to rapidly gather and distribute food, water, and supplies.
"When we need money or supplies, we raise our hands and ask for help," Phan says. "We don't want to be a big group, we want to be a good group."
