NEWS

Gruber honored as Hometown Hero

Andrew Carter
Reporter

MARION - You don't have to be able to leap a tall building in a single bound or be more powerful than a locomotive to be a hero.

Sometimes heroes are just ordinary people who take time to be nice to their neighbors or give a child a tasty treat on a hot day.

In the case of Lt. B.J. Gruber of the Marion Police Department, it's those simple acts of kindness that attracted the attention of members of Marion Modern Woodmen of America Chapter 6511. The impact that Gruber has made on the community as head of the MPD's MPACT (Marion Police and Community Together) program led to his selection as a Hometown Hero by Modern Woodmen of America.

Lt. B.J. Gruber, center, of the Marion Police Department has been named a Hometown Hero by the Marion Modern Woodmen of America Chapter 6511. Also pictured are Jeff Reed, Chapter 6511 activities coordinator, and Kathie Seckel, financial representative for Modern Woodmen of America.

Gruber said he was stunned when he received word that he was the recipient of the Hometown Hero award.

"I'm so honored to be recognized, especially by such a great group of people who do so much themselves for the community," he said. "Modern Woodmen, Kathie Seckel specifically and Amanda Mowry from their Delaware chapter, have helped us out so much with our outreach projects."

Seckel said Gruber met all of the qualifications to be a recipient of the award.

"We're always looking for people who give above and beyond to help their community," said Seckel, Modern Woodmen financial representative in Marion. "We're looking for people who continually give back, who really just love their community, want to see positive growth and are willing to do things maybe other people aren't. I've gotten to know B.J. quite well over the last year, year and a half. He loves Marion. He loves people and it's evident in what he does."

Seckel said last Christmas Gruber was instrumental in identifying a family of four children who were in danger of being separated because their grandmother didn't qualify for public assistance she needed to meet their needs. She said the Shop with a Cop initiative provided Christmas gifts for the children and Modern Woodmen spent $1,000 on basic necessities that helped the family remain together.

Mowry said she believes the MPACT program under Gruber's leadership is making a difference in Marion.

"Not just him alone, but the department, is changing the perception of law enforcement here in Marion," she said. "He really has a heart for the people in Marion."

Coincidentally, the slogan adopted by Modern Woodmen over the past year is "To make an impact," Seckel said.

"When the MPACT program came out in Marion, it was just natural for us to look for people in that regard for the (Hometown Hero) award," she said. "This award is not just to honor him and the amazing men and women of the Marion Police Department, but also a promise that we will stand beside them in helping our community prosper."

Modern Woodmen of America gives each Hometown Hero recipient a $100 prize that they can give to the charity of their choice. Gruber selected the United Way of Marion County.

Andrew Carter is the Life In Marion reporter for The Marion Star. Contact him at eacarter@gannett.com or 740-375-5154. Follow him on Twitter @AndrewCarterMS or Facebook @LifeInMarionOhio.