Divers Prep For 1st Ever Downtown Mpls. Polar Plunge

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MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- It takes a lot of courage and a little bit of crazy to dive into an icy pool in the middle of a Minnesota winter by choice, but that's exactly what folks are preparing to do at U.S. Bank Plaza Thursday.

The first-ever downtown Minneapolis Polar Plunge will take place at 6th Street and 2nd Avenue at U.S. Bank Plaza, where the Minneapolis Fire Department will help fill up an above-ground pool for the plunge, which helps raise money for Special Olympics Minnesota.

Folks from Minnesota teams like the Twins, the Wild, the Timberwolves, the Vikings and the United FC, along with Fox Sports North, will take a dive at noon and then downtown workers will be able to take a dip from 4 to 6 p.m.

There are currently 20 different Polar Plunges that happen all across the state of Minnesota.

According to Special Olympics Minnesota, the plunges are organized by Minnesota law enforcement as part of the Law Enforcement Torch Run, the largest grassroots fundraiser and public awareness vehicle for Special Olympics in the world.