24-03-2025
‘He made an impact on everyone': family, community, remember Cash Gaudio
LYNCHBURG, Va. (WFXR) – Family and friends gathered Sunday afternoon at the Boonsboro Shopping Center to ensure a Lynchburg man's memory was never forgotten.
Last September, 19-year-old Cash Gaudio was shot and killed in his Lynchburg driveway.
On Sunday, a car show was held in his honor, a nod toward his biggest passions.
'It's been a dark, horrible time for our family,' said Shannon Meyers, Gaudio's mother. 'A little bit of brightness and seeing people celebrate Cash's life is really meaningful to us.'
Gaudio operated his car detailing business, with plans to pursue a degree from the University of Virginia and grow his work from there.
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'What better way to honor Cash than through trucks and cars,' said Savena Royal. 'This is what he loved.'
Royal was one of Gaudio's closest friends and spearheaded Sunday's event.
'He made an impact on everyone and I'm sure he's making an impact today on everyone here,' she said.
In the months following Gaudio's passing, his mother is constantly reminded of her son.
While out for a ride several months ago, she noticed an orange Ford Mustang GT 350.
The GT 350 was Gaudio's favorite car, and the color orange represents the fight to end gun violence.
A proud Clemson alum, Meyers says orange is her favorite color, but she had never noticed orange cars driving around Lynchburg before.
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Now, she notices them every day, as do dozens of people around the community, who tag her on Facebook any time they come across orange cars around town.
'It's very comforting to get little signs,' said Meyers. 'I call them 'Cash winks.' And to know that other people have a heart to remember him too is very special to me.'
All proceeds from Sunday's show went to the Live Like Cash Gaudio Foundation, a scholarship fund created to keep his memory alive.
If Sunday's turnout was any indication, that memory lives strong in those who loved him.
'As a mom, one of the things you are really scared about when you lose your child is that they'll be forgotten, and you do everything you can to make sure that won't happen.' said Meyers. 'Obviously, Cash is not forgotten.'
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