Greg Zanis from Aurora, Illinois is a retired carpenter but still likes to get his hands dirty. The man has been building crosses for victims of tragedies for over twenty years, and he estimates that he’s built around 20,000 crosses in total.
Greg’s philosophy is simple: he will build a cross for anyone who asks for it and he never asks anything in return.
The Zanis family isn’t particularly wealthy and although Greg’s non-profit organization Crosses For Losses can cover for a part of the costs, the former carpenter pays for most of the materials himself.
After hearing about the terrible shooting in Las Vegas, Greg was determined to create 58 crosses, one for each victim.
He worked non-stop for a week to build the crosses, which were the most that he’s ever built at once.
“This row of crosses will show the severity of what really happened there,” he said to WFLA. “More so than numbers and pictures in the paper.”
The 58 crosses are now positioned near the “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign and have formed a memorial site and a beacon of hope for many. Family members and friends have decorated the crosses with personal belongings and memorabilia. Greg drove all the way from Illinois to Nevada to deliver the crosses himself. Local police officers heard about Greg’s initiative and were more than willing to help him.
It’s not the first time that Greg personally created and delivered the crosses for a national tragedy. He did the same thing for the Orlando shooting and multiple school tragedies. Greg started building crosses after he found a friend and his father-in-law brutally murdered.
Making these crosses was a way for Greg to cope with his grief.
“I don’t have any answers, but this is just me doing something, showing that I care, showing that I love them,” Greg told.
With a difficult financial situation and a 20-year-old pick-up truck that was completely worn out, Greg’s daughter asked him to stop the crosses because she was scared they wouldn’t be able to pay the rent – but Greg kept on going without ever asking anything in return.
When the FOX5 Surprise Squad heard about Greg’s story, they decided to give him a surprise that he would never forget. He was given a $20,000 grant by Albertsons and Vons and a number of tools, but the best was yet to come.
Greg and his daughter stepped outside of the FOX5 Studio for another incredible surprise.
A brand-new truck was waiting for him there, as well as a trailer to keep his crosses safe during transport.
What an amazing individual and a heartwarming story.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
