Kyle Schwarber Father And Mother Have A Big Influence On Him
Kyle Schwarber mother Donna Schwarber is a former police dispatcher and father Greg Schwarber was a Middletown police chief.
Both his parents have worked in the police department. After leaving behind her job as a dispatcher, his mother became a nurse.
Greg, who joined the department in 1980, retired in 2011 after 32 years of service. But it was not an easy decision to make.
His instincts made it difficult to leave in times of trouble with severe budget cuts, and police contract changes likely approaching through the Ohio Senate Bill 5.
“You don’t want to leave in a crisis and that is what we are in,” Greg said. It was not just the chief who was reluctant, his coworkers, from the clerks to the dispatchers, officers and detectives, didn't want him to go.
However, Greg, 56 at the time, had to retire due to pension regulations. “I wouldn’t go if I didn’t have to,” he said. “I love my job."
Greg's priceless memories with the police include those with his little son Kyle — the Middletown PD’s No. 1 fan. Young Kyle, who sometimes accompanied his dad to his shifts, idolized the police devoutly.
As he got older, Kyle would work out in the police gym and continue bothering everybody. The police station was his first clubhouse.
Besides, Greg also has a lot of influence on Kyle's baseball career. The father and son would play catch in their backyard, and Greg regularly drove him to his practices.
Kyle's family background is why the baseballer understands the sacrifice that first responders and their families make. He considers them his hero and never forgets his roots.
In September 2017, he hosted his inaugural annual Block Party at Revel Fulton Market as a part of his “Neighborhood Heroes” campaign.
The program, with premium grilled meat, live music, and lawn games, was conducted to honor Chicago’s servicemen. It raised over $280,000, beyond the expectiation of Kyle.
Under the campaign, he also visited Chicago Fire Department Engine 112 with Blu, his Dalmatian. He toured the fire station and surprised the members with PlayStation and 65-inch television.
Likewise, he conducted a celebrity golf event near his offseason home in Tampa, where he invited several first responders from Chicago and Middletown.