Crews prepare Polar Plunge site in La Crosse

Plunge takes place Saturday at Black River Beach

LA CROSSE, Wis. (WKBT) – Ahead of Saturday’s Polar Plunge crews were busy Friday morning at Black River Beach cutting ice.

Crews from the La Crosse Dive Unit used saws and some heavy machinery to cut a hole in the ice.

Students, staff from local businesses and community members will be hoping in the the ice waters.

The event raises money for Special Olympics Wisconsin.

Cutting the ice is helping the community in many ways.

“It’s good training for our people to operate the saws, because we do use them in recovery and rescue operations sometimes. Working around the water, getting comfortable in our suits and just being away of what’s going on. And it helps the community, helps Special Olympics out,” said La Crosse Area Dive Unit training officer Kevin Kappauf.

Registration for the Polar Plunge starts Saturday at 8:30 a.m. and the plunge will start at 11:30 a.m.

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