A member of the Knights of Columbus Council No. 12374, based at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Wilmington, has been nominated to receive a $100,000 grant for a local charity with which he has volunteered for the past 10 years.
John Grieshaber, a member of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, is a volunteer with “A Better Chance for Our Children” (ABC), an adoption agency that focuses on finding permanency for children awaiting families. He is one of four finalists for the 15th annual Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award, sponsored by the NASCAR Foundation. The award is named in memory of the foundation’s late founder and chairwoman. Each finalist will receive a minimum donation of $25,000, with the overall winner receiving $100,000.
The NASCAR Foundation, headquartered in Daytona Beach, Fla., has named four finalists for the award. The winner will be determined through an online vote at https://www.nascarfoundation.org/bjfha-vote-2025/. People may vote once a day through Nov. 3.
“These four finalists represent the true spirit of the sport, not just in their passion for NASCAR, but in their tireless commitment to making a difference in their communities,” Nichole Krieger, executive director and vice president of the NASCAR Foundation, said in a press release.
Most of the young people placed by ABC are coming from foster care, and many have special needs, according to the NASCAR Foundation. Grieshaber, who assists primarily with the organization’s Red-n-Respite program, said “A Better Chance” has volunteered at Dover Motor Speedway for events held for Speedway Children’s Charities (SCC). Grieshaber said SCC notified the NASCAR Foundation about ABC.
Grieshaber had to go through an interview process and fill out some paperwork as part of the vetting process.
“They have a nationwide search that got whittled down,” he said.
Grieshaber said his commitment to community service dates back to his days as a student at Salesianum School, from which he graduated in 1981. Students were required to do service work. He chose to volunteer at an orphanage operated by the Diocese of Wilmington.
“I got to visit with the kids, and I saw how they were living. That’s what got me volunteering with kids in that circumstance,” he said.
Several years ago, his Knights of Columbus council was looking for a place to volunteer, and they found A Better Chance for Our Children, and he has remained there.
Grieshaber, a structural engineer, will be attending NASCAR’s annual banquet on Nov. 4 in Phoenix.
“That’s when we find out who actually wins,” he said.
