German carmaker BMW has seen its Warm Heart Fund corporate social responsibility effort bear fruit over the past five years through the efforts by a range of stakeholders.

"CSR is an integral part of our dedication to taking strong root in China as we see it as a core part of our overall strategy," said Karsten Engel, president and CEO of BMW China.

"We want to be deeper in the society in the future through our continuing sustainable efforts."

Karsten Engel, president and CEO of BMW China, celebrates the fifth anniversary of the BMW Warm Heart Fund in Chengdu. [Photos Provided to China Daily]

Engel joined more than 400 BMW dealers, customer and associates from across the country to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the BMW Warm Heart Fund in Chengdu on Dec 14.

Themed "Love for Future", the gala helped review the efforts by the fund over the past five years by sharing stories from a range of participants.

"I am extremely proud to have thousands of customers as the backbone in our social responsibility initiatives here in China. We come together as a family caring about the children and the community, and together we have made a difference," said Engel.

Long-term effort

"BMW insists on long-term commitment to Chinese society, and both the strategy and practices of our CSR programs are based on this commitment," said Engel.

One example is the BMW China Culture Journey that for the past seven years has helped protect and pass on traditional cultural heritage.

It has explored the country's six major cultural ecological conservation areas and visited more than 170 sites that are home to intangible heritage.

The program has now donated a total of 7 million yuan ($1.14 million) to 69 projects.

As well "nine years ago, we started the BMW Children Traffic Safety Education program, the first in the premium segment", said Engel.

"Almost 360,000 children in 63 cities have benefited from the program since 2005".

Total funds used have reached 44 million yuan, benefitting more than 70,000 people around the nation.