Last year's Polar Bear Swim in English Bay generated 130 kilograms of food and $1,330 for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank.

This year, the Vancouver park board is hoping to exceed those figures on New Year's Day with the 96th annual dip.

“Even if you’re not taking the plunge, it’s fun to watch the spectacle," park board chair Sarah Kirby-Yung said in a news release issued this morning.

She's encouraging swimmers and spectators to make donations at this year's event.

The forecast for January 1 calls for sunny skies with no chance of precipitation. The daily high will be 4 °C. According to the park board, water temperature in English Bay has dipped to 3 °C.

Registration begins at 12:30 p.m. on January 1 at the English Bay Bathhouse. The swim begins at 2:30 p.m.

You can download the registration form from the park board website to avoid lineups.

Kids must be with adults and the park board requests that pets be left at home.