ERIE, Pa., Jan. 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania Electric Company (Penelec) is pleased to announce the winners of its "Merry & Bright" Holiday Lights Photo Contest, a competition conducted for the first time on the company's Facebook page.

The grand prize winner is Bobbie Green, of Altoona, Pa., who received 387 votes out of more than 1,330 total votes cast on Facebook. She will receive a $250 gift card.

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

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

Green was inspired to create a large holiday scene by her mother, who decorated extensively while she was growing up. Green carried on the tradition with 2,500 lights and several blowup decorations, including six Santas.

"My mother was unable to decorate this past holiday season. I decorated instead so she could still enjoy the lights and decorations," Green said. "I would like to thank Penelec for selecting our home as a finalist, and everyone that voted for us on Facebook."

First prize winner Josh Fosbrink of Johnstown, Pa., received 343 votes on Facebook and will be awarded a $100 gift card.

View the winning photos on the Penelec Facebook page or on Flickr(TM).

Penelec is a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE). Penelec serves approximately 600,000 customers in 31 Pennsylvania counties. Learn more about Penelec at www.penelec.com. Follow Penelec on Twitter @Penelec and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PenelecElectric.

Flickr is a registered trademark of Yahoo, Inc.

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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.