Hours before the pomp and circumstance of the Phillies' highly anticipated home opener on Friday afternoon, Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos were in the batting cages beneath Citizens Bank Park -- but neither was working on his own swing.

Instead, they were giving impromptu hitting lessons to the children of fallen Temple University police officer Christopher Fitzgerald, who was killed in the line of duty on Feb. 18

Schwarber, a Middletown native, comes from a family of first responders. Officer Lindsey Schwarber, who is a K9 officer, is his sister. His mother is a nurse and was a an MPD dispatcher. His father, Greg Schwarber, was a 31-year veteran of the force and served as chief of police.

Kyle Schwarber is giving back to where he came from. As the son of a police chief and nurse, Schwarber has always been inspired by servicemen and women and their devotion to duty. That’s mainly why he launched “Neighborhood Heroes” in May. The campaign’s sole purpose is to recognize first responders and show appreciation for their courage and heroism.