Elbeco Incorporated has announced the winners of its "Every Elbeco Uniform Tells a Story" Contest, which attracted entries from around the country. The contest invited public safety professionals to submit stories describing a particular incident in which their actions in the line of duty may have made a significant difference in a citizen's life.

"We were thrilled with the quality of the responses we received from the professional community," said David Lurio, President of Elbeco. "We're honored that these selfless and courageous men and women shared their stories with us, and we're honored to be part of this community."

Five monthly finalists were chosen from entries submitted online September through December. The 20 finalists each received a $100 retail credit to use at their local Elbeco retailer, an Elbeco mug, cap, pen and UFX Performance T-Shirt. From these 20 finalists a Grand, Second, and Third prize winner were selected. The Grand Prize winner received a check for $5,000. The Second Prize winner received a check for $2,500 and a $1,000 credit for his department for Leon Uniforms in St. Louis, Mo. The Third Prize winner received a check for $1,000 and a $500 retail credit for his department for Roy Tailor's Uniforms in Columbus, Ohio.

Each of the winners received recognition on Elbeco's Website. Prizes were awarded personally by Elbeco executives, including David Lurio, President, Bruce Snyder, Director of Marketing, and Director of Sales and Business Development J.D. Devine. All the finalists' stories and the Grand, Second, and Third prize winner stories can be viewed at www.elbeco.com .

Officer James Quesenbery of Columbus, Ind., received the Grand Prize for his rescue of a passenger from a burning vehicle. Quesenbery, a member of the Columbus (Ind.) Police Department, had little time to react when he arrived at the scene of an accident on a local highway. "In situations like this you just act on instinct," Quesenbery recalls. "It was a difficult situation, and working together as a team we did what we had to do."

Elbeco awarded the Second Prize to the Alton (Ill.) Fire Department's Technical Rescue Instructor Bernie Sebold. Officer Sebold's story recalled how he was summoned to the scene of a suicide attempt in the middle of the night.

An 18-year-old woman had jumped from the top of a 160-foot river bluff, but landed just 40 feet below. When fire crews found the woman screaming for help, they summoned Sebold. He and another firefighter were lowered down the rock face to the victim. They trauma packaged her in a Stokes basket, and then Sebold and the woman were lowered the remaining 120 feet to the road below.

The young woman was transported to the hospital where she made a full recovery. "It's not everyday that you are part of a trauma like this," Sebold says. "I was part of a team who executed their jobs perfectly, and the result was a successful rescue."

Officer Edward Kontul of Ohio's Perry Township Police Department received the Third Prize for his story on what seemed like a routine traffic violation.

A car made an illegal U-turn right in front of Officer Kontul, and when he stopped the driver, he found a confused elderly gentleman with no ID in a car registered to a woman residing in Florida. "The man was looking for his wife's friend's home and had become lost," recounts Kontul. "As it turns out, after I did some investigating, the gentleman was an Alzheimer's patient in an assisted living community right down the road. When I brought him back home, his distressed wife was incredibly thankful."

As a key component of the contest, Elbeco Incorporated enlisted its nationwide retail dealer base. The dealers were invited to participate in the contest by displaying a counter card with entry brochures in their outlets.

Along with displaying the counter card, the retail dealers also agreed to honor the retail credits that were part of the prize packages. As an added incentive, the retail dealer who had the most entries submitted received a $2,500 Elbeco credit. The retail dealer that served as the entry point for the Grand Prize winner was awarded a $2,500 Elbeco credit.

The $2,500 Elbeco credit was awarded to Galls, an Aramark Company, for having the most entries in the "Every Elbeco Uniform Tells a Story" Contest.

The $2,500 Elbeco credit was awarded to U.S. Uniform & Supply, Indianapolis, Ind., for being the Grand Prize winner's retail dealer. "We're pleased that both these valued dealers encouraged their customers to enter their stories," Elbeco President Lurio said.

For more information visit www.elbeco.com .