Day of the Dead/Día de Los Muertes

photo of crosses

          Between October 1, 2000 to September 30th 2001, 137 human remains of migrants were found in the Arizona desert. Fast forward to 2015 where more than 2,771 crosses housed in our office represent the number of migrants found in the desert and recorded by the Pima County Medical Examiner’s Office. Nevertheless, we know that this number does not represent all the human beings who died crossing because some have never been and will likely never be found.

          El Día de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) was created to honor those who are no longer among the living. We want to ensure we honor the unidentified, to say the names of those who have been named, and, to not forget. We will walk with crosses, each of which represents the number of remains found in the Arizona desert and recorded by the Pima County Medical Examiner’s Office between October 1st, 2014 to September 30th, 2015. Our walk will end at San Xavier Mission where we will lay this year’s crosses with the other 2,771 crosses that represent those who have died since we began this journey 15 years ago.

          15 years ago, Coalición de Derechos Humanos began to honor those lives lost by bringing awareness to the fact that these unnecessary deaths are the result of anti-immigrant and inhumane policies. 15 years is too many! We will continue to walk each year and refuse to stop fighting against the U.S. policies that created this death zone. #15yearstoomany.

          We are asking you to join us this October 31st 2015 to raise your voice, put your walking shoes on, sponsor the event and/or volunteer to help make the event as special as possible.

What: Day of the Dead Pilgrimage – A 7.8 mile walk from ST. John’s Church, on 12th Ave & Ajo, to the San Xavier Mission commemorating the migrant lives lost in the desert each year! You can do as little as one block, one mile or the 7.8 miles or you can sponsor the event and/or volunteer to help a variety of tasks.

When: October 31st, 2015 pilgrimage begins at 8:30 a.m. Please arrive at the church at 8 a.m. Link to the Facebook page event.

October 24th, 2015 at 9 a.m. Cross-making and breakfast fundraiser. link to the Facebook page event

Sponsors:  Thank you to all the sponsors who are making this event possible:

Alliance for Global Justice

BorderLands Theater

Borderlinks

Border Studies Program

Casa Mariposa

Fundación México

Mohyeddin Abdulaziz

No More Deaths

People Helping People

St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal / Mision Episcopal de San Miguel

The Gloo Factory

Tucson Samaritans

Veterans for Peace

This is how you can be part of this effort: 

Sponsor the event—Send us a check for $25 with Día de los Muertos in the memo to P.O. Box 1286, Tucson, AZ 85702 or click the donate bottom in this website

Find volunteer opportunities for the event here:

Volunteer to help us make crosses on October 24th, 2015 at 9 a.m. at 5090 S. Jeanette Ave.

Volunteer to help us load the crosses on Friday, October 30th at 5 p.m. at the Global Justice Center at 225 E. 26th ST.

Volunteer to help us lay out our 2,771 crosses the day of the event on Saturday, October 31st at 6 a.m. at the San Xavier Mission

Volunteer to help us pick up all of the crosses from the San Xavier Mission at 2 p.m.

2015Dayofthedead

2015Dayofthedeadespañol