ATLANTA –

Citing research showing that children growing up in homes without books are less likely to complete a basic education, Manheim said two of its locations hosted a book drive for an organization that collects books for Houston’s at-risk children.

Manheim Houston and Manheim Texas Hobby recently joined forces on a book drive to benefit Books Between Kids. That non-profit organization collects gently used books and distributes them to children so they can build their own home libraries.

Employees donating books participated in a drawing for company-sponsored points that could be redeemed for merchandise. Manheim Texas Hobby lot operations dealer services coordinator Erick Serrano did well in the competition, gathering 340 books from family members, friends and neighbors.

But Houston’s economically-disadvantaged children were the main winner of the book drive, Manheim said. The two Manheim locations donated approximately 500 books to Books Between Kids.

“Supporting the communities we serve is in our company’s DNA,” said Manheim general manager Darren Slack, who oversees Manheim Texas Hobby and Manheim Houston, in a news release.

Slack also said, “Our team members never cease to amaze me with their spirit of giving back, and I’m so proud of their efforts to continuously help those less fortunate.”