More than 1,000 people crowded Tug颅boat Bay in sa国际传媒sa国际传媒 Waterfront Park for the ninth annual Polar Bear Dip on New Yearsa国际传媒 Day, but only 200 or so brave souls dared to enter the chilly waters of Okanagan Lake.
And even then, only briefly.
鈥淚t went awesome,鈥 said Stuart Ham颅ilton, fund-raising and events coordinator for the Community Recreational Initiatives Society. 鈥淲e had a way better turnout than I could have expected. The beach was completely packed. So it went really well. It was really cool to see.鈥
According to website seatempera , the water temperature in Okanagan Lake for this time of year is consistently around 3C.
On Monday morning, Hamilton said the total raised was about $18,000 or $19,000, Hamilton said. 鈥淏ut we鈥檝e got a big donor thatsa国际传媒 going to try to help us reach our goal of $25,000. We鈥檒l see how that pans out in the next couple of days.鈥
After three years of 鈥榲irtual鈥 dips in chilly Okanagan Lake, Hamilton said it should once again be the biggest fundraiser of the year for the unique local non-profit organization that provides outdoor recreation programs and opportunities for Okanagan residents of all ages living with disabilities.
Last week, Hamilton thought he would be among those braving the elements but was warned that the event organizer has too many other responsibilities.
That prediction proved to be true. 鈥淚 was too busy doing interviews and stuff. Next time for sure,鈥 said Hamlton with a laugh.
Surprisingly, Hamilton has never done the Okanagan Polar Bear Dip, although he has done others elsewhere.鈥
鈥淭he first thing is your body kind of goes into shock. You kind of have to relax, take slow, deep breaths because your breathing becomes really shallow,鈥 he said. 鈥淎nd then, your body kind of gets used to the cold after that first initial shock, the first few seconds there.聽 Itsa国际传媒 definitely a great way to start a brand new year.鈥
According to its website, the societysa国际传媒 955 clients spent 2,128 hours in outside recreational activities in 2022. The funds raised by the society have been used to purchase an $8,000 Trailrider, adaptive hiking equipment, and a $4,000 tandem bicycle.
鈥淎t CRIS, we want to ensure every child, youth, adult and senior living with a disability of any kind has the opportunity to access outdoor recreation for the benefit of their physical, mental and social well-being. Whether itsa国际传媒 going for a hike up Knox Mountain, kayaking on Kalamalka Lake or cross-country skiing at Telemark, theresa国际传媒 no doubt we live in one of the best areas in the world for outdoor recreation. But these activities can be out of reach for some, which is where we come in,鈥 the website states. 鈥淯sing our unique adaptive equipment and team of trained support staff and volunteers, we can make these adventures accessible for people living with all kinds of disabilities.鈥
The last time the dip was held in the flesh was on Jan. 1, 2020, when both the air and water temperature was 6C, unusually warm conditions for New Yearsa国际传媒 Day in sa国际传媒.
