By Chad Harris / Jessica Lepp

Polar bear swimmers brace chilly conditions

Jan 1, 2016 | 12:20 PM

KAMLOOPS — Those who were looking for a fresh start to the new year participated in the annual Polar Bear Swim at Riverside Park.

Brave souls stripped down and took a dip in the frigid Thompson River.

Organizer Linda Gayfer says, “it takes a crazy person to do this. There is some excitement and adrenaline involved because there is an amount of mass hysteria, so everyone gets excited and it keeps you going.”

Participants were encouraged to bring non perishable food items for the Kamloops Food Bank.

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“It’s such an important thing for Kamloops I think food is such a basic human need. In January people forget about giving. Christmas is over and it’s time to kind of start paying bills, its a good time to get people giving again,” says Gayfer.