Globe-circling pilots give children’s charity a lift
Published: April 2, 2007
On a sunny afternoon, clusters of foster children shyly approach two special visitors in the backyard of their Surrey home. Some ask questions; others simply stand quietly for a photo.
The kids are all residents of SOS Children’s Village B.C. in Surrey, which houses up to 20 children from around the Lower Mainland and their foster parents in five residences.
The guests are record-breaking helicopter pilots Jennifer Murray and Colin Bodill, who touched their helicopter down in Vancouver Wednesday to visit the Surrey children’s village before continuing their second world-record attempt to fly around the world via the North and South poles.
The duo’s first trip together in 2003 was cut short when Murray and Bodill plunged into an ice shelf in Antarctica in whiteout conditions. Though both pilots were seriously injured in the crash, they were soon calling sponsors to get back in the air.
So far, the flying duo has logged 40,000 kilometres since taking off from Fort Worth, Texas in December, with more than 22,000 kilometres to go – including the trip to the North Pole and back – before landing in Texas in late May.
Along the way, Bodill and Murray have stopped at SOS villages in many of the 34 countries on their flight path, raising awareness and funds for the world’s largest privately funded child welfare program.
Speaking at the Surrey village, Murray, 66, said it was initially difficult for her and Bodill to settle on a single charity to support during their second trip. But after visiting a few of the villages, she and Bodill were convinced of the value of SOS.
“It’s just a really heart-warming experience. And it was really something we could work with, because there were so many on our route,” she said.
She has already seen the impact of their visits. A TV station in Brazil is now filming a documentary on the charity after visiting one of the villages.
Cary Gaymond, the director of development for the Surrey village, said the pilots’ visit has been a boost for the charity.
In particular, Gaymond hopes the pilots’ visit will help SOS BC raise money for its Bridge 19 program, which provides ongoing support to teenage parents and older foster youth as they transition to independent living.
But aside from the publicity, Gaymond believes the pilots’ visit has been a great opportunity for the children to talk to people involved in a journey of this scope.
“It’s just so neat for them to meet people touring around the world like this.”
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