LATHROP – Dave Cahal had a slight problem on his hands.

The Valley Springs resident and classic car enthusiast was three days away from a car show he was supposed to be hosting – with more than 450 entries – and Mother Nature dealt him a cruel blow by forcing him out of what was supposed to be his location.

So he scrambled. And he thought. And then he went to Susan Dell’Osso.

And what would have been a major crisis was avoided – the parking lot of the family’s festival grounds proved to be a more than suitable backup for the Modesto Area Street Rod Association’s 18th Annual Lathrop event.

In the end, however, it was the youth of Lathrop that won.

While the National Street Rod Association Appreciation Day – held in memory of Todd Faulkner and Cahal’s wife Mary – drew car lovers from the all over the Bay Area and from as far away as Reno, the group has long made it a point to donate to the City of Lathrop’s Parks and Recreation Department so that high school seniors can have a little bit of assistance when they move on to college.

He was on hand at the Lathrop City Council meeting Monday night to turn over a $2,350 check.

“What a family – I can’t say enough good things about them. Without their help I’m not sure this would have happened this year,” said Cahal. “In the end this is something that benefits the kids. We’re glad that we can do something.”

Interestingly enough, while Cahal’s organization might have members from Lathrop, it’s not an intrinsic link to the city that keeps bringing them back year-after-year for one of the largest gatherings in the area.

Being located right on Interstate 5 between the Bay Area and Sacramento initially drew the organization to the community, and the warm reception coupled with a lack of problems – both logistically and with people who come out to see the entries – has kept them coming back.

Cahal says that he deliberately goes out of his way not to advertise the early April event to keep a lid on things, but made an exception Monday night because he wanted to express his gratitude to the Dell’Ossos for everything that they did.

“To be there on a Thursday and not know what you’re going to do is not a good feeling,” he said. “But she helped work it out for me – it was amazing. They stepped right up and that means the world to me.”