On the evening of Sept. 11, Cascade Falls in Jackson, Michigan, provided a solemn backdrop for a memorial honoring the victims and first responders of the 9/11 attacks. Organized by the Jackson, MI Tunnel to Towers Foundation, the event brought together approximately 200 attendees, including high school cadets, future first responders from Jackson College, and local firefighters, EMTs, and police officers. State house representative Kathy Schmaltz was among those in attendance and offered remarks to open the evening.
The memorial began at 8:30 p.m., with Schmaltz addressing the crowd. “Having events like this to remember 9/11 are so important,” she said. “We had an event at the state capitol today. Every year we have first responders come, and we remember all the Michigan first responders that lost their lives on 9/11. But it was also to honor first responders locally because we owe them so much respect because they keep us safe every day.”
Tony Cruz, co-coordinator of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation in Jackson, followed Schmaltz and set the tone for the evening reflecting on the significance of the date. “Sometimes, let’s face it, we forget, and we need little reminders,” Cruz said. “Starting off with the fact that it happened on 9/11, 9-1-1, the number that we have been taught, since we were very, very small, that if there is ever a problem, this is who you call. This is who is going to fix the problem. They chose that day to attack us as an insult, as a way to further harm us. They lost.”
Following Cruz’s reflection, Pastor Caleb Raymond, youth pastor at Rives Church, led the group in a prayer and moment of silence. During his remarks, Raymond emphasized the importance of not only remembering the tragedy of 9/11 but also the unity and strength that followed. “As we remember 9/11, we never forget 9/11, we also pray that we will never forget 9/12 and the community that we had together, the patriotism, the passion, the strength,” Raymond said.
After the prayer and moment of silence, accompanied by a trumpeter playing taps, local first responders and community members took part in a symbolic stair climb at Cascade Falls. At the bottom of each descent, a bell was rung to honor their fallen comrades, with Representative Schmaltz shaking hands and offering her gratitude to each first responder.
Throughout the evening, the emblematic flag stood at half mast, still and unmoving. In stark contrast, the falls were illuminated in vibrant red, white, and blue hues, swaying to the rhythm of patriotic music.
The event concluded with the national anthem and a traditional Cascades light show, while community members and first responders gathered together to remember, and reflect, while walking around the falls.
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation, created in memory of firefighter Stephen Siller, who died during the 9/11 rescue efforts, continues to honor the legacies of first responders through events like this one.
