He was wearing a purple “Elley’s Hope” band on his left wrist. The “Purple Power Band” is in honor of Elley Ferrell, a sophomore at Middletown High School who was born with spina bifida.
Elley’s father, Pastor Lamar Ferrell, said he contacted Schwarber’s father, Greg Schwarber, a retired Middletown police chief, and said it would be “nice” if Kyle Schwarber could homer Tuesday, Elley’s 17th birthday.
Greg Schwarber told Ferrell that Kyle had broken all his “Elley’s Hope” bands that he frequently wears. So Ferrell gave Greg Schwarber more bands, and he passed them to Kyle before Wednesday’s game.
Elley made a video that she sent to the Middletown High School graduate. She called him “Mr. Kyle” and thanked him for homering as a “belated birthday gift.”
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