Met-Ed Announces Winners of "Merry & Bright" Photo Contest

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Jan 14, 2015, 04:50 ET

READING, Pa., Jan. 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Metropolitan Edison Company (Met-Ed) is pleased to announce the winners of its "Merry & Bright" Holiday Lights Photo Contest, a competition conducted for the second consecutive year on the company's Facebook page.

The grand prize winner is Gary Lerch, Jr., of Bath, Pa., who received 837 votes out of more than 1,650 total votes cast on Facebook. He will receive a $250 gift card.

"Our 'Merry & Bright' Holiday Lights Photo Contest showcases some of the most spectacular holiday scenes in eastern Pennsylvania," said Rosemary Spoljarick, manager, Community Involvement, FirstEnergy. "At the same time, the contest is a fun way to raise awareness of Met-Ed's social media presence and engage with customers."

Customers were encouraged to submit photos of their homes' outdoor lighting displays on the Met-Ed Facebook page during the first several weeks of December. Three finalists were selected from all entries, and visitors to Met-Ed's Facebook page voted to select the winners.

Lerch and his family have been decorating their home during the holidays for six years, and each year the display grows substantially. The 2014 display included 30,000 lights synchronized to holiday music.

Lerch said that it takes about a month and a half to create his outdoor lighting display. During the two months the lights are on, cars line the street to enjoy the show, and the reactions of children who visit make the work particularly gratifying.

"By March I was already thinking of ideas, and by June I was constructing new projects. This year, I am shooting for more than 50,000 lights and some new displays," Lerch said. "We would like to thank Met-Ed for selecting our home as a finalist, and everyone who voted for us on Facebook."

First prize winner Ken Lovely of Gilbertsville, Pa., received 673 votes on Facebook and will be awarded a $100 gift card.

View the winning photos on the Met-Ed Facebook page or on Flickr™.

Met-Ed is a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE). Met-Ed serves approximately 550,000 customers in 15 Pennsylvania counties. Learn more about Met-Ed at www.met-ed.com. Follow Met-Ed on Twitter @Met_Ed and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MetEdElectric.

Flickr is a registered trademark of Yahoo, Inc.

SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.