Tuesday marks four days until Albuquerque's annual Twinkle Light Parade. The family-friendly holiday event runs every year along Route 66 in Nob Hill. While it's a time to show off bright and colorful floats, for some people, it's also a chance to spread awareness on big issues.Like gun violence throughout New Mexico."I cry all the time. You know, where my life has ended up at," Alicia Otero said. For the second time in a row, the New Mexico Crusaders for Justice will be participating in the holiday parade. The group consists of families who have lost loved ones to violent acts of gun violence. And their influence has only grown.Otero is the co-founder of the organization. She lost her son, Elias, in February 2021."There's a lot of tears that go into this. We all miss our loved ones," she said. Similar to their debut last year, the group assembled a float. The unique artwork consists of drawings, airbrushes, and pictures of people killed in arms-related violence. Many of whom were children. The efforts have included months of planning and weeks of preparations. But ultimately, the group decided on a special theme."Our theme this year is 'The Grinch Who Stole Our Loved Ones'," Otero said. "It's going to be Grinch-themed, and we have all the loved ones on the side. They've all been lost to gun violence and we're going to honor them."Otero and her husband, Luiz, are just two of 20 Albuquerque members who have dedicated endless amounts of time towards the float."I've been helping with the framing part. I've been hanging lights. I've been doing what I can to help," he said. As for the hardest part? Luiz said it's not about the manual labor, but rather the displayed pictures."It's sad to see. That was the roughest part of doing it," he said. "Seeing the pictures of all the loved ones that have passed away."For the first time ever, members aren't just focusing on the Albuquerque-based organizations. They're also focusing on its sub-chapters. "I've been working hard on the float. You know, I'm remembering the families. All the victims of homicide," Vangie Randall-Shorty said. Families in Farmington are also working on their own float, just in time for the town's Christmas Parade on Dec. 1.Randall-Shorty lost her son, Zachariah, after he was shot to death on the Navajo Nation in July 2020."Me standing up for him to be his voice, and about the families," she said. "It's been emotional."Over in Ruidoso, Lisa Morales runs the Ruidoso sub-chapter. Members there are also working on a special Christmas float. Similar to others, she grieves every day for her son, Joseph. He was just 19 years old when he was killed during his first year at the University of New Mexico."We've got a 'Stairway to Heaven' . We've got fliers and banners, and all the victims are going to be on a star that will be part of our float," Morales said. She added that she hopes to inspire change from her own trauma in order to help others."Until you have actually lost a child, a son or a daughter, you really don't understand how deep that grief goes," she said.Despite the pain, the group stands strong. In hopes of supporting one another and bringing awareness to an issue that's devastating families."It keeps me going," Otero said. " It keeps me busy, and I think it's very therapeutic for other families to be involved."If you would like to walk with the group in the 2022 Albuquerque Twinkle Light Parade, contact the New Mexico Crusaders for Justice on their Facebook page here. The holiday event happens Dec. 3 at 5:15 p.m.