Wear a helmet, get treats

Police and community members in Penticton are ramping up their response to certain activity — and if you get caught in the act, you get... free ice cream?

The Positive Ticketing Campaign was launched on Thursday, which rewards young people with vouchers for food and activities for displaying safe behaviours.

The initiative is put on by the South Okanagan-Similkameen Brain Injury Society, with support from local RCMP, the city's bylaw staff and sponsoring businesses, which include VeriBerry, Dairy Queen, Booster Juice, McDonalds, Wendy's and Hoodoo Adventures.

SOSBIS executive director Linda Sankey said the vouchers will be given out when kids are seen wearing helmets while cycling or skateboarding, or wearing lifejackets on the water.

She said the campaign will largely target people between the ages of 12 and 24.

While giving out the first voucher before media on Thursday, she said partners hope to hand out at least 1,000 this summer.

"We're just really wanting to help promote the positivity and the safety aspects of keeping our brains safe to prevent injuries," Sankey said, adding the society will be posting updates online of the number of vouchers handed out.

"Traumatic brain injury is something that affects a lot of people in the community, it's affected me personally in my life," SOSBIS board member Jason Cox added.

"If we can get early intervention and get kids thinking about keeping their brains safe, then that carries on through the rest of their lives."