Wearing a helmet could earn kids free ice cream

This summer, officers and volunteers with the Sioux City Police Department will be on the lookout for kids wearing helmets while biking so that they can give them a ticket….that is good for a free ice cream cone from Dairy Queen.

The Sioux City Police Department has partnered with Opportunities Unlimited and Dairy Queen for the 7th year of the “You’ve Been Ticketed” program which promotes brain injury awareness and prevention with kids.

The “You’ve Been Ticketed” effort is an extension of the Opportunities Unlimited Gotta Brain, Get a Helmet program which further support their mission and spread awareness.

Last summer, 250 “tickets” were handed out to kids for wearing helmets by officers and members of the department’s Trailblazers.

The Trailblazers are a volunteer group coordinated through the Sioux City Police Department to ride bikes on the trails and report any issues or graffiti.

“We are looking for additional volunteers to help provide a friendly presence on the bike trails and hand out “tickets””, said Rita Donnelly, volunteer coordinator for the department.

Trailblazer volunteers are provided helmets, shirts, and bikes if needed.

Anyone interested in volunteering for Trailblazers or any of the volunteer opportunities with the department can contact Rita Donnelly at 712-279-6424 or email her at rdonnelly@sioux-city.org.

Ashley Phelps with Dairy Queen presents Officer Jeff Demetri and Trailblazers volunteer Daniel Ford with “Tickets” for free ice cream at a press conference on April 16, 2021.