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Thousands of people are expected to flock to New Brighton, Minn., to view a giant snow sculpture in New Brighton — and it's all for a good cause.   

The Bartz brothers and two friends have created a 19-foot-tall lobster that they're using to raise money for a clean-water charity. 

The sculpture took the brothers nearly 350 hours to make and is named after the Vikings' wide receiver Stefon Diggs, whose 

 is being called the #MinneapolisMiracle.

The solid ice sculpture took nearly 350 hours to build with snow donated from Aspen Outdoor Services and the City of New Brighton.

Austin Bartz is ready for the traffic congestion begin.

"There's always a constant stream of cars all day long," said Bartz. "It's really busy in the evening, that's for sure."

It's the seventh consecutive year for an aquatic-themed snow sculpture in the Bartz's front yard.  So far the list includes a puffer fish, walrus, shark, turtle, octopus, fish and this year's lobster.  

Bartz says a donation box is in place, ready to take contributions.

"We're working with an organization called 

,"  said Bartz. "We're raising money to provide clean water all over the world."

He said last year's snow sculpture raised about $26,000 for a clean water project in Malawi.  

The team works by feel, stepping back often to view their creation and make sure it looks like what they've envisioned.

Bartz, 23, said as the brothers get older, it's more difficult to find time for the sculpture. But they hope to keep the tradition going. 

, and see each year's sculpture in the gallery below.

Gallery

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Mark Steil

Author

In New Brighton, the Bartz brothers and two friends have created a 19-foot-tall lobster that they're using to raise money for a charity group.

Diggs the Lobster in the Bartz brothers' front yard. 

Evan Frost | MPR News

The first effort by the Bartz brothers was a puffer fish in 2011-2012. 

Courtesy the Bartz family via Facebook

In 2013, they continued their sea creature theme and created a walrus. 

A 16-ft. tall shark was 2014's snow sculpture. 

In 2015, the Bartz brothers created a 12-foot-tall sea turtle.

Octavius the Octopus was the snow-sea creature for 2016.

For the winter of 2016-17, the brothers created a bluegill-looking fish.

How to raise money in a Mpls. suburb? Brothers try a giant snow lobster

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