Polar First helicopter pilots Jennifer Murray and Colin Bodill are attempting to fly around the world via the South and North Poles within 175 days. They plan to cover more than 58,000 kilometres and to make over 120 stops in 32 countries, while displaying the SOS Children's Villages' logo in order to promote the work of the organization.

Murray and Bodill piloted their Bell 407 helicopter and landed on the South Pole at 5 a.m. (GMT) on Sunday, 7 January, showing the SOS Children's Villages logo prominently on their helicopter.

In mid-February the pilots visited SOS Children's Villages Porto Alegre and Sao Bernardo. Both the children, co-workers and the local communities received the pilots enthusiastically.

Jennifer and Colin will be visiting SOS Children's Villages along their route. Polar First encourages children from the SOS Children's Villages to take part in Passport to the Poles, a unique educational programme in partnership with The Royal Geographical Society. This global environmental programme offers children around the world the chance to unite and work together to learn about each others' unique environments, the threats to our planet and the many ways which they can help to protect it.

Murray was born in the United States and educated in England. She entered the Guinness Book of Records in 1997 as the first woman to circumnavigate the globe in a helicopter. She raised more than 100,000 USD for children in that effort.

Colin Bodill is also a very experienced pilot. He is two times World Microlight Champion and in 1998, he broke a record in speed flying a small cockpit aircraft from London to Sydney.

On its website, www.polarfirst.com, Polar First provides useful information about SOS Children's Villages and encourages visitors make a donation in support of the organisation.