In honor of Pay It Forward Day on April 28th, Pitch In For Baseball & Softball held a contest via our social media channels to recognize all essential workers, who are keeping us safe during these unprecedented times.

Submissions were made to nominate essential workers through Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. The contest launched on Friday, April 24th, and entries poured in daily through Pay It Forward Day on April 28th.

PIFBS has selected one winner on each social media platform, announced on Wednesday.

The honorees are police officer Chris Gardecki, hospital admission and collections clerk Alma Salas, and hospital pharmacy technician Becky Thomson.

Gardecki has been a police officer for three years. He is deployed to high crime areas in South West Philadelphia with the goal of ensuring safety for the people who live in these areas. Gardecki was nominated by Steve O’Connor, and was selected as the prize pack recipient on Facebook.

Salas was selected as the winner on Instagram. A hospital admission and collections clerk in California, she was nominated by Ivan Salas.

On Twitter, Thomson was nominated by Jamie and Braden Thomson. She is a certified pharmacy technician at SCL Health in Colorado.

“I am very honored to be chosen,” Thomson said. “It’s good to be able to work in this tough time. Pharmacy is rewarding knowing that we can supply medications that can help alleviate some of the symptoms that Covid-19 patients are facing. It is a very different environment. Very humbling. Thank you for this wonderful gift!”

The prize packages included a brand new A2000 or A2K Wilson baseball glove, a $100 Visa Gift Card, and PIFBS swag (t-shirt, quarter zip pullover, clear stadium bag, and water bottle.)

PIFBS was pleased to take part in Pay It Forward Day, a global initiative that strives to make a difference by creating a ripple of kindness across the world. More information about the initiative is available at http://payitforwardday.com/