GREEN BAY, Wis. (NBC26) -- Every winter, thousands of people dive into freezing cold pools of water across the state.
For Carmen Klarner, it's one of the most important events of the year.
"Sometimes the Special Olympics is all they have to do as an extracurricular activity, so it is important that they are supported in that way," Klarner, a Program Manager at Paragon Community Services, said.
The annual Polar Plunge Wisconsin Special Olympics fundraiser brings in nearly $300,000 for over 9,000 athletes across the state. Klarner, who works with children and adults with special needs, dives in every year.
"To see them supported that way just by going and jumping in the water for 20 seconds... that's all it takes for somebody to raise 75 dollars to go towards their team," she said.
But this February, the Polar Plunge won't have any water.
In a normal year, upwards of 500 people stand outside of Lambeau Field in Green Bay for the Polar Plunge. But organizers say this year, it just isn't feasible.
"To keep that [the Polar Plunge] with the amount of people coming through and keeping that sanitized and people staying socially distant was becoming a huge problem," Wisconsin Special Olympics Director of Development Sarah Graper said.
Instead of water, people can now plunge down one of eight slopes across Wisconsin with a tube or sled to raise money.
"People are excited because they didn't want to see something like this not happen this year," Graper said. "But everyone has been understanding to keep it safe with social distancing."
Some can simply stay at home and plunge in their bathtubs. Some are even contacting local fire departments to get sprayed with hoses. No matter what the event is, Klarner is happy to support the Special Olympics.
"Either way, if it was jumping into the water or going down the hill, I think they would still raise just as much money or more," Klarner said.
The Polar Plunge sledding and tubing events will happen at eight different locations in Wisconsin. In Green Bay, it is scheduled for Feb. 6 at Ariens Hill.
For more information, visit the Polar Plunge website.
