Over 50 people took the plunge at the annual Polar Bear Swim in the South Thompson River in Kamloops on New Year`s Day, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015
(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)
January 01, 2015 - 1:49 PM
KAMLOOPS - Over 100 people showed up for the annual Polar Bear Swim in the South Thompson River in Kamloops on New Year's Day.
About half of the crowd gathered in Riverside Park jumped into the figid waters. With an air temperature of -6 C, ice was crusted along the shoreline.
The swim is a fundraiser for the Kamloops Food Bank and over $100 in cash was collected along with almost 200 lbs of food, according to one of the organizers Linda Gayfer.
She says this year's donations probably quadrupled what was collected in 2014.
Testing the waters before the Kamloops Polar Bear Swim at Riverside Park, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015.
(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)
Participants in the Kamloops Polar Bear Swim didn`t linger long on the icy waters of the South Thompson River in Riverside Park, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015.
(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)
Some came dressed for the occasion at the Kamloops Polar Bear Swim at Riverside Park, Thursday, Jan 1, 2015.
(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)
Linda Gayfer, one of the Kamloops Polar Bear Swim organizers, jumped into the South Thompson River with the other 50 participants, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015.
(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)
The rush to get out of the frigid waters of the South Thompson River at the Kamloops Polar Bear Swim, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015.
(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)
The exit from the icy South Thompson River during the Kamloops Polar Bear Swim, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015.
(GLYNN BROTHEN / iNFOnews.ca)
Blankets and towels await the brave swimmers at the Kamloops Polar Bear Swim, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015.
(GLYNN BROTHEN / iNFOnews.ca)
News from © iNFOnews, 2015