Free ice cream this Sunday at McDonald’s

McDonald's is offering a free vanilla soft-serve ice cream cone to customers through the restaurant chain's app at its Miami Valley restaurants on Sunday, July 16 — and one customer nationwide will win free ice cream for life, McDonald's officials say.

Sunday just happens to be National Ice Cream Day, and McDonald's will piggyback with a promotion for what it calls its "iconic vanilla soft serve — made with no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives."

WATCH: McDonald’s employee jumps out drive-through window to save officer

Throughout the day, McDonald’s officials said in a release, “Guests wishing to enjoy a free Vanilla Cone need only download the McDonald’s mobile app and redeem the Free Vanilla Cone offer.”

As for the free ice cream for life offer, here’s how McDonald’s lays it out:

“One guest — and one guest only — will receive a special ‘Golden Arches Cone,’ (which) entitles the winner to McDonald’s soft serve for life. For a chance to win the Golden Arches Cone, soft serve enthusiasts must redeem the Free Vanilla Cone offer in the mobile app on July 16 between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. local time.”

The free-cones-for-life offer will come in the form of a $312 McDonald’s gift card plus a check for $4,680. And that should buy a lot of ice cream.

PREVIOUS: McDonald’s now offering sriracha-spiked Big Macs in Ohio

Stacy Vorhees, whose family operates multiple McDonald’s locations in the Miami Valley and who is the franchise owner-operator for a McDonald’s in Logan County, said in a release, “Our customers expect us to evolve with them, and that’s exactly what we’re working hard to do. We’re proud of how we’re raising the bar on our menu — including our delicious soft-serve – and on the modern experience that we’re sharing with our customers in Ohio. And selfishly, I’m really hoping that the ‘Golden Arches Cone’ winner happens here in the Miami Valley.”

PREVIOUS: 2 new Big Macs coming soon to Dayton-area McDonald’s

Over the past two years, McDonald’s has made a series of changes to its menu, including the launch of All Day Breakfast, the removal of artificial preservatives from Chicken McNuggets, the debut of a new premium salad blend, and the use of real butter on English Muffins, bagels and biscuits, the chain’s officials said.

About the Author