Roger Grein, a certified public accountant and a softball coach for 38 years, is on a mission: counting his blessings and paying back the people who helped him to get where he is today.

Mr. Grein is physically challenged, but has battled against all odds to live a full life.

He tells the story that his birth mother - young, scared, shunned and single - almost had an abortion. She was talked out of it.

That was the first blessing.

He was adopted by Frank and Thelma Grein. That was the second blessing.

"I honored them several years ago because they are responsible for all that I am," Mr. Grein said.

In 1998, he donated $500,000 to Northern Kentucky University for a softball field in honor of his adoptive father.

The field is named Frank Grein Softball Field.

"I decided on a softball field because I coached the Jake Sweeney softball team for 38 years. These teams were part of my family. And after NKU started softball, eight members of my teams made the NKU softball team," he said.

Mr. Grein also donated $500,000 to NKU for scholarships for physically disabled children.

"This was in honor of my mother, Thelma Grein," he said.

Several years ago, Mr. Grein learned of his birth parents, Robert Wilde and Dorothy Wang.

He never met them, but he started thinking about how he could honor them.

He made contact with Habitat for Humanity in Middletown and decided to build houses to honor both parents.

The first house was in honor of Mr. Wilde.

It was built in Middletown by 120 volunteers from the Middletown and West Chester offices of Habitat for Humanity, with Teresa Wyche, a single mother of six children, chipping in her sweat equity as the recipient of the house.

The house was dedicated Jan. 5.

"My birth parents could not be there, but this was the first time members from both sides were together. There were aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters. That was a blessing," he said.

The second house was built in Loveland by students at Mount Notre Dame High School in Reading along with Habitat for Humanity volunteers in honor of his birth mother, Ms. Wang.

"I decided on the students because my CPA business is in Reading," he said.

The house will be dedicated Jan. 25 and turned over to Jason and Jenny Scott. They have six children.

A three-day workshop by the Young Americans of Salt Lake City will be Jan. 19-21 at McAuley High School in College Hill.

It will include voice, dance, and all aspects of performing arts.

Kathy Dietrich, assistant development director at the school, said the workshops will involve about 100 students from several schools.

For more information, call 681-1800.

Allen Howard's "Some Good News" column runs Sunday-Friday. If you have suggestions about outstanding achievements, or people who are uplifting to the Tristate, let him know at 768-8362, at ahoward@enquirer.com or by fax at 768-8340.