Hundreds turn out for polar bear swims in the Okanagan

Hundreds of swimmers took the plunge into the icy waters of Okanagan Lake.

In Kelowna, 450 people raised nearly $8,000 for Community Recreational Initiatives Society (CRIS) Adaptive Adventures, an organization that helps people with disabilities experience the outdoors.

“It’s just a great way to start of the new year, a fresh year,” swimmer Michelle Hemingway said. “I try to do it every year. It’s awesome.”

0:26 Summerland Polar Bear Swim 2018

At Summerland 33rd’s annual Polar Bear Dip, approximately 100 swimmers raised funds for the Kinsmen Club of Summerland.

“It’s amazing how many people at the very last minute just get right to the edge of the lake, count down and then they’re in,” Blair Giillingham, president of the Kinsmen Club of Summerland, said. “People want to be the first one in the lake, which is amazing.”

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“At the beginning I didn’t even feel the pain, just when I got out,” swimmer Laurenz Weber said. “It was really fun.”

“It’s ridiculously cold. Really, really, really cold,” Daniel Box said. “A little bit silly.”