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At the count of three, over 450 people brave souls left their warm clothes behind and made their way into the chilly waters of Okanagan Lake on Monday.
Click video below to play Facebook Livestream of the event. You can full screen once you start playing it.
Thousands of people crowded the shores of Tugboat Bay to witness the Annual Polar Bear Dip - an event that raises funds for CRIS Adaptive Adventures - a local non-profit that takes people with disabilities on outdoor adventures.
Click the image below to play the interview with organizer, Emilie Sarkissian.
Admission to the event was free, but participants were encouraged to donate any amount to CRIS.
Temperatures in Kelowna hovered around -9 C during the afternoon event, but once they returned to shore, food trucks were onsite and ready to serve up a stack of hot meals.
"It's a good way to wake up and start fresh," said Stacey Clark, a first-time participant who did the dip with her family.
"I thought about doing it last year but ended up passing. I will definitely do it again though - now that I am more prepared on what to expect," said Clark.
According to organizer Emilie Sarkissian, the 2018 dip had the largest turnout to date with over 1,200 people in attendance, 450 plus brave souls making it into the water and just under $8,000 was raised.
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Head to the KelownaNow Events Facebook page to see more photos of the event or scroll down to see more captures from the event.
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