Aurora 'Crosses For Losses' Man Honored In Las Vegas

AURORA, IL — Greg Zanis, the carpenter from Aurora who makes crosses for lives lost in tragedies, was honored by Las Vegas commissioners Sunday. Nov. 12 is now "Greg Zanis Day" in Las Vegas. He built, transported and installed 58 crosses to pay tribute to each of the Las Vegas shooting victims who lost their lives Oct. 1. According to a news release from Clark County, Nevada, Zanis was honored in a ceremony and presented with a key to the Las Vegas Strip.

The crosses were displayed prominently under the iconic "Welcome To Fabulous Las Vegas" sign since he drove them there Oct. 5. Sunday, they were individually photographed and carefully moved to the Clark County Museum for permanent display.

Chicago's WGN 9 reported that a Las Vegas television station gave Zanis a new truck with a trailer for his crosses. The outlet also gave him rent money and $20,000 for his Aurora-based nonprofit, Crosses for Losses. To top it off, he was surprised with a visit from his daughter.

Since 1995, Zanis has built more than 22,000 crosses. First, they were made to memorialize murder victims across the country, but more often these days, they're made for victims of mass shootings.

Image: Photo: Sherri Camperchioli, left, and Jordan Cassel help set up some of the crosses that arrived in Las Vegas today to honor the victims of the mass shooting on Thursday, Oct. 5, 2017, in Las Vegas. A gunman opened fire on an outdoor music concert on Oct. 1 killing dozens and injuring hundreds. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)