Crosses For Losses Cavalcade Has New Truck, Familiar Faces

AURORA, IL — A neatly stacked row of wooden crosses leans against a wall in a suburban Chicago warehouse, ready to be taken to the nation’s capital. Each is accompanied by a picture of someone from nearly twenty years ago, along with a name that continues to mean so much to so many.

The crosses represent the victims from the Columbine High School shooting, and they’re among the thousands Greg Zanis and volunteers have constructed over 22 years. Zanis’s organization, Crosses for Losses, began as a favor to someone who wanted a memorial for her child. Since then, he has made a cross for anyone who asks — free of charge.

You may be familiar with his story, or at least an image, from when he mounted 58 crosses underneath the “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign for each life lost in the deadliest U.S. mass shooting in recent history.

From Columbine to Vegas, he has made countless meaningful connections with grieving family members who have inspired him to deliver a simple and powerful message: Love one another.

Man On A Mission

Zanis is organizing what he calls a “crusade” Jan. 20 in Washington, D.C., where he hopes thousands of people will walk with 2,000 crosses, old and new, to spread that message. Bearing images of lost loved ones, the crosses will be carried by people who knew them and some who didn't. From victims of shootings in Columbine and Tucson, to casualties from gang violence in Chicago and Detroit, every state will be represented.

“I’ve got a few people coming in from Puerto Rico and Orlando from the Orlando shooting," Zanis said. "I’ve got moms coming in from Newtown who lost their six-year-old kids.”

He personally went to Colorado to ask the mother of Rachel Scott, the first victim of the Columbine shooting, to ask if she would join him.

“Nobody’s coming to grandstand,” he added. "It’s not about guns. It’s not about politics at all. It's about coming together and honoring lives lost."

One morning, he said, shortly after bringing crosses to Las Vegas, “It dawned on me. I’ve always wanted to do something other than just go to a crime scene."

Which is how he got the idea for the D.C. crusade.

"I have 20,000 crosses and phone numbers of friends. I’ve been on the phone calling every day since then.”

He Gets By With A Little Help From His Friends

The people of Las Vegas were so receptive to the crosses that a local Fox 5 News station surprised Zanis with a $20,000 grant, along with a 2017 Nissan Titan and trailer to haul his crosses and new tools. The new equipment couldn't have come sooner. Zanis' daughter, Maria, said in the Fox 5 news segment that her father was sleeping in his old truck during his travels and struggling to make ends meet.

He said everything that has come as a result of his crosses in Las Vegas has given him a “new degree of confidence.”

“My life’s so different than it was last year," he said.

He appreciates the extra labor and the warehouse, which is temporarily shared with a friend, Tao Martinez of Archangel Biorecovery. Martinez felt compelled to help Zanis with the mission after his brother was murdered in Mexico two years ago.

"This is not about gun violence. This is about violence, period," he said, noting there also are crosses for victims of domestic abuse. (Others represent victims of fatal car crashes or suicide.) "If you look, every cross is different. They have their little imperfections, they're all hand-made, like how every person is different from one other."

The team will caravan to D.C. Friday in multiple trucks, with as many as 100 people joining them from Aurora. On Saturday, they'll meet near the White House for a prayer, a pledge of allegiance led by kids and remarks from parents who will speak about loved ones they've lost. Martinez will address the crowd, too, along with Robert Renteria. The veteran and author jumped on board about three month ago. He offers a prevention perspective to Crosses for Losses.

"We need to make a dent into this whole issue of bullying, violence, gangs, drugs. That's where my participation is."

As of Friday night, the three men, plus volunteers, had about 500 crosses to make in five days, which they will have no trouble managing.

What's Next

After Washington, Zanis will go back to his usual routine of fulfilling orders for people all around the country. He usually gets about four or five requests on an average day. But business will not continue as usual.

"Next year, I’m going to open 50 chapters in 50 states." He already has commitments from California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington state, among others. He’ll fill his trailer and give each location 25 crosses to start. He's looking forward to expanding operations, but not without a heavy heart in this paradoxical line of work.

Pictured left to right: Joel Martel, Greg Zanis, Tao Martinez, Robert Renteria with crosses representing Chicago victims. 1/12/18