JACKSON, Mich — if you grew up in Jackson, coming to the Cascades was probably a big part of your childhood. It was mine.
But the Cascades are crumbling.
WATCH THE VIDEO TO SEE THEIR CURRENT CONDITION AND EFFORTS TO PRESERVE THEM:
I'm here with Jackson County Parks Director Kyle Lewis, who is going to give us an update on how the fundraising is going for a makeover, and, Kyle, I hear a major milestone has been achieved...
"Yeah, you know, I think it's going pretty well. We've still got some work to do, but we're more than 50% past our goal," says Lewis.
The Cascades project was the brainchild of Jackson industrialist William Sparks.
Inspired by the fountains of Barcelona, this 500-foot man-made illuminated waterfall was completed and opened to great fanfare in 1932.
And now, almost a century later, efforts are underway to raise $3.5 million and save this Jackson icon.
"I think it's worth every cent. Because that IS Jackson," says Jim Keller, whom I met walking nearby.
Walker Jim Bullinger agrees: "Absolutely. Money well spent. It's a nice tourist attraction. Brings people in. They do the fireworks here on all the holidays, so $3.5 million dollars — it's a nice chunk of change, but it will be very much worth it."
Lewis says the money will be used to restore all the concrete, move the pump house above ground, and replace all the plumbing: "A lot of the guts from 1932 would be replaced, basically."
And, he says, they're getting closer to their goal.
"So, we've got just over $1.9 million raised, and that's really in large part from a lead gift from the Alvin Glick Foundation and the Glick family, so, because of that gift, this is starting to feel real possible that we're going to get this done."
Lewis is hoping for community support to close out the fundraiser. To find out more and if you want to help, click HERE.
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