This summer the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Vicksburg District is promoting life jacket use with the Wear It to Win It! campaign on Facebook and Twitter.

Until July 8, the Corps is offering prizes to those who submit photos of themselves or their friends and family properly wearing a life jacket.

Amy Shultz with the Lake Ouachita Field Office said this campaign evolved from a need to get the world out about water safety.

“We wanted to make it a fun way to encourage people to wear their life jackets out on the water,” she said. “We want to prevent accidents and drownings.”

Shultz said with Facebook and Twitter enjoying growing popularity, the sites seemed like the perfect place to host the contest.

“Since social media is such a hot thing, we thought it was a fun way to promote life jacket wear,” she said.

Shultz said they decided to do the campaign after the New England District did a similar push.

“They had really good success in the New England District,” he said. “A lot of people participated and sent in some really great photos.”

The public is encouraged to post photos to the Vicksburg District Facebook page at facebook.com/vicksburgUSACE or tweet them including the @VicksburgUSACE Twitter name and the #WEARIT hashtag.

Every Wednesday until the end of the campaign, the Vicksburg District’s Water Safety Project Development Team will select a photo that was posted during the previous calendar week and award a prize. Photos will be judged based on subject matter, focus, creativity and overall emphasis on water safety.

Prizes include free campsite reservations, picnic shelter reservations and daily passes at Corps-managed facilities within the Vicksburg District and a grand prize of an annual pass good for any Corps managed facility in the U.S. The grand prize will be given to the best overall photo submitted during the seven-week campaign period.

Winners will be announced and notified via the social networking site on which they submitted the photo. For more information, visit www.mvk.usace.army.mil, email Renea Guin at Martha.R.Guin@usace.army.mil or call 870-246-5501 ext. 64010.