Lake Minnetonka Polar Plunge Goes On For New Year’s Day

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MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – On Friday, crowds will take a dive into an icy lake for a good cause, thanks to a Minnesota legend.

For 31 years, Bill Wenmark has cut a hole in the Lake Minnetonka Ice for New Year’s Day.

“Some things don’t change, and that’s the temperature of that water. It’s still at freezing,” said Wenmark. “But the real long-standing, every-year benefit is for the men and women – military – around the world, standing guard for us.”

For the Vietnam veteran, that’s what this is about: helping vets and others who might be struggling.

Wenmark is also the COVID compliance director for Minnetonka High School, and that may be the reason he was able to pull off the plunge this year.

“It was an amazing experience meeting with the state officials to get them to approve something they had no idea even existed,” Wenmark said.

The only thing he needed to make sure everything is ready…someone to test the waters: Mike Max!

Mike Max takes the polar plunge! (Credit: CBS)

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