SAN LORENZO — Arroyo High School will honor a slain alumnus Saturday.

The school's seventh annual Car Show will pay tribute to Rick DeVecchi, whose unsolved 1998 killing has received national media attention.

The show will feature hundreds of classic and custom cars — a DeVecchi passion — along with live music and a barbecue. All proceeds benefit the school's sports program, Rick's brother Randy DeVecchi said.

"We're trying to make something good out of something tragic," he said.

Rick DeVecchi was 37 in 1998 when a hit-and-run driver in Berkeley allegedly intentionally ran over him.

The city of Berkeley, the state and the DeVecchi family are offering a combined $50,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of DeVecchi's killer. The case has been featured on the America's Most Wanted Web site.

Randy DeVecchi said the purpose of the event is to raise awareness of the unsolved case, as well as preserve vulnerable Arroyo sports programs amid statewide budget cuts. Rick DeVecchi played on the freshman football team at Arroyo in the mid-1970s. Randy played varsity basketball at the school.

"For anybody who has the opportunity to play high school sports, it's always going to be a positive thing," he said. "Even if you're not the best player, you're on a team building relationships with teammates and getting some life skills."

The idea for the event came from Arroyo booster Robin Strom,

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who met the DeVecchis' father Dick after he'd won a Pleasanton Car Show. Dick DeVecchi explained to Strom that he'd restored the red 1941 Chevy he and his slain son started working on together. It turned out Strom was Rick's former classmate.

DeVecchi said the car show has grown each year, with last year's event drawing close to 300 classic and custom cars and raising almost $15,000.

"With budget cuts happening these days, high school sports is an easy thing to eliminate," Randy DeVecchi said. "When you do that, you're taking away opportunities for children."

The show will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Arroyo High, 15701 Lorenzo Ave. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children and seniors.

Gideon Rubin can be reached at 510-293-2469 or grubin@bayareanewsgroup.com.