COEUR d'ALENE - Kacey Daily chilled out at Lake Coeur d'Alene on Saturday.

Daily was among 11 North Idaho College students who braved temperatures in the mid-30s and wind to participate in the first Turkey Plunge to benefit Community Action Partnership's Thanksgiving food drive for those in need.

"It's not that bad until you get out," said Daily while drying off after jumping in the lake. "Then your feet get numb."

The event was organized by NIC's resort recreation management students as part of their event planning exercise.

It raised about 100 pounds of turkeys and 100 pounds of canned food for the food bank.

"It was a good turnout for the first year and we'll do it again next year if we can," said Coeur d'Alene's Savanna Smith, who helped organize the event. "It's for a wonderful cause."

On the west side of the county, Kootenai County Fire and Rescue and its union held the first Turkey in the Tower benefit for the Post Falls Food Bank. There was a pancake breakfast, food drive, music and demonstrations by KCFR.

NIC students secured seven sponsors for the Coeur d'Alene event, including Arby's, Roger's Ice Cream, NIC Outdoor Pursuits, Cricket's, Day Break Coffee Co., Louie Permelia and General Nutrition Centers.

More help is needed for the drive.

This year the food bank plans to give out about 3,500 Thanksgiving baskets, compared to 2,617 last year and 1,763 in 2009.

The food bank will start its distribution on Monday with 223 turkeys.

"Last year we served 833 families on the first day, indicating that we will be out of turkeys before noon," a CAP press release said.

Other Thansksgiving dinner items such as vegetables, cranberry sauce, stuffing, olives and gravy packets are also needed.

For more information, call Carolyn Shewfelt at 640-6640.