Most free stuff never seems to be totally free with some catch or hidden requirement always lurking nearby to take some of the fun out of it. Keeping kids safe is a goal we all share and combining actually free stuff with promoting that aim is a textbook win/win situation.

Almost no one questions that the use of automobile seat belts is an obviously good and lifesaving habit to have, and “on paper,” the same agreement exists when it comes to wearing a life jacket while out on a boat (and yes, paddle craft are considered “boats”).

Most states, Maine included, have life jacket wear laws for kids; “10 and under” is the law for Maine while some states go as low as 6 (!) or up to 13 for mandated life jacket wear. Good safety practices don’t stop on a kid’s 11th… or 18th, 38th, or 68th birthday with drowning an age-independent tragedy.

The obvious safety enhancements of wearing a life jacket when out on Maine’s always-cold waters are unfortunately lost on many adults and too often that lack of emphasis extends to their kids as far as life jacket wear despite the legal requirements and obvious safety benefits.

McDonald’s has teamed up with the Maine Game Wardens, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, and the Maine Marine Patrol to promote, recognize and reward life jacket wear by kids 12 and under through the “Flotation Citation” program. The “citations” are given to kids wearing life jackets while on board a boat and will get each citation recipient a free small McCafé Smoothie, any Happy Meal, or Egg McMuffin sandwich when they’re presented at a Maine McDonald’s.

While the “Flotation Citation” program is for kids 12 and under, having everyone on board wearing a life jacket is like wearing your seat belt in the car; it’s generally too late to start preparing for the emergency you’re already experiencing.