Grow Up in a Safe World with Love and Hope---2009 BMW Children’s Traffic Safety Education Program Warm Heart Session Opens in Chengdu
(Chengdu/Beijing) “Clap you hands, clap my hands, traffic safety goes first. Clap you hands, clap my hands, safe the belt before you drive…” Today, Chengdu Youth and Children’s Center flourished with children’s hand clapping and angelic singing, turning the square that once a haven for Chengdu citizens in the earthquake into a place of happiness. Those children were special participants of the 2009 BMW Children’s Traffic Safety Education Program Warm Heart Session. Twenty of them came from four quake-hit kindergartens in An County including Jiaxin Kindergarten, where Zhang Hongmei, a teacher and heroine who sacrificed her life rescuing children in the catastrophe, once worked. After the event, BMW dealers, car owners, and volunteers together paid a visit to kindergartens in An County, and brought stationery and sports equipment to the children. Ms. Sharon Li, PR Director of BMW Group China, Mr. Ni Xingguo，Deputy Director of Chengdu Youth and Children’s Center. They presented awards to winners of BMW Children Car Sticker Painting Contest (Chengdu) on behalf of BMW Warm Heart Fund.
To be the little traffic safety volunteer, painting a better future
In the BMW Traffic Safety Theme Park, children were so excited to see the miniature streets and the various traffic signs. With the coaches’ instruction, they soon “drove” children cars, motorcycles, and bicycles into the streets and started to steer their way in and out. Teachers and parents took the roles of police and pedestrians to help the little drivers learn the traffic rules. The theme of the 2009 Program is “I’m A Little Traffic Safety Volunteer”. In addition to the Traffic Safety Theme Park, the children also took part in a variety of activities such as “BMW Children Traffic Safety Clapping Song”, “Learn Traffic gesture”, and “Interactive Flash Show”. Together with 375 kids from 15 kindergartens in Chengdu, children from An County happily learned about useful traffic safety knowledge.
At the on-site drawing contest themed “To Paint a Better Tomorrow”, children from BMW owners’ families and An County, expressed their hopes and wishes through imagination and colorful crayons. With help from their parents, children of BMW car owners wrote “Wish you a more beautiful home”, “Wish you grow up in happiness” in their paintings that extended their sincere wishes to the quake-affected friends. Children from An County also expressed their gratitude through their works for BMW owners and their families’ contribution over the last year helping them rebuild homes.
“The Program’s Warm Heart Session brings not only traffic safety knowledge to the children, but also the opportunity for them to make new friends. It is a time of happiness. Hopefully through our efforts, we could sow the seeds of love and help the children grow up happily and healthily”, said by Sharon Li, PR Director of BMW Group China.
“Since the earthquake, the focus of educators in Chengdu is not only teaching but also to help children build a sound personality. The way that the Program conveys knowledge with love and joy, is very inspiring for us. We’re happy to work together with companies like BMW, who really care and have a great sense of social responsibility in order to introduce such excellent programs as BMW Children’s Traffic Safety Education to more children in Chengdu”, indicated by Mr. Ni Xingguo , Deputy Director of Chengdu Youth and Children’s Center.
Building a new home: BMW customers’ Children’s Day gift to Jiaxin Kindergarten
After the onsite activities, together with representative of BMW Warm Heart Fund, BMW owners and their children paid a visit to Jiaxin Kindergarten in An County, where Zhang Hongmei, the late heroine in the earthquake, once taught children there. They donated stationery and sports equipment, such as BMW children traffic safety package, PC, and climbing frame, to the children and teachers. During the visit, BMW owners also helped install climbing frames as gifts to children for the upcoming International Children’s Day on June 1st. Last year when the earthquake stroke the area, Zhang Hongmei quickly transferred 53 kids in her class to a safe place. However, when she finally came back to save her own child, the room collapsed. They were buried in the debris forever. At present, children rescued by Zhang Hongmei celebrated the upcoming Children’s Day with BMW Warm Heart Fund and BMW customers’ families. On June 1st, they will move to the newly-built kindergarten.
“Since the disaster happened, BMW owners and BMW employees have visited us many times with BMW Warm Heart Fund. Our children have become friends with them. Our children’s gratitude for those warm-hearted people have inspired them to help other people in need. I believe the children’s love and care for others will be their most precious treasure as they grow up,” said by Huang Xiaoqin, a teacher at Jiaxin Kindergarten.
Love and care, the perpetual driver: BMW Warm Heart Fund's long-term commitment to support post-disaster reconstruction
As a leading global automotive product manufacturer, BMW is devoted to harmonic development with the society. After the earthquake, BMW China and BMW Brilliance co-founded BMW Warm Heart Fund through RMB 10 million contributions. Supported by love and efforts from all walks of the society, the Fund is dedicated to the long-term support of educational and cultural reconstruction in the quake-hit areas. As of March 31 2009, the Fund had collected a total amount of RMB 12.41 million and had launched several charity and award programs, including Disaster Area Student Scholarship, Awards of Outstanding Teacher, and donations of education and sports facilities. The Warm Heart Session of the BMW Children’s Traffic Safety Education Program is another effort of BMW Warm Heart Fund for the education in the quake-hit area.
In China, the BMW Children’s Traffic Safety Education Program is the most important part of BMW Educational Support which is one of the four pillars of BMW Corporate Social Contribution Activities. Since launched in China in 2005, the BMW Children’s Traffic Safety Education Program has progressed in teaching local children traffic safety knowledge through a variety of methods. Over the past 4 years, the Program has made a tremendously positive influence on over 100,000 local Chinese children by garnering supports from a wide range of advocates. In 2009, the Program continues its partnership with China’s Children’s Center to hold activities in Youth and Children’s centers in 18 cities across China. More than 6,000 children from over 250 kindergartens will join the program.
