The students, who were each somehow affiliated with the Saratogahigh.com website, gave up their Saturday morning sleep and plans for a cause known as Operation Hedwig, named after the snowy messenger owl in the Harry Potter novels.

In author J.K. Rowling's world, owls deliver mail from place to place without stamps, giving the students the idea they could do the same while saving $1,000 in first-class postage and demonstrating school spirit too.

About 40 runners, 10 bikers and five cars took to the streets of Saratoga to become messengers. Their goal was to distribute more than 1,100 packets to Saratoga High School households as fast as possible, with about 130 miles to cover on foot. Participants included recent high-school graduates, current students, members of the cross country team, and even the Saratoga Assistant Principal Karen Hyde and her two children.

The packets included personalized information for parents about how to activate their website accounts to Saratogahigh.com. Each volunteer chose from one of 42 delivery routes, ranging from one to five miles in length and ranked in levels of difficulty. The volunteers were picked up in cars at the end of their routes, thanks to an organized system of mapping software, walkie-talkies and cellphones, Hyde said.

In a trial run involving 250 households a few weeks earlier, participants dropped off the packets in safe but visible areas near front doorsteps, so they wouldn't violate postal regulations prohibiting non-U.S. Postal Service use of mailboxes.

Senior Kalvin Wang, 17, plus recent graduate Philip Sung and junior Christine Yen, 15, are the original founders of the website and the brains behind Operation Hedwig. Although Sung is off to the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology this fall, he has been training the rest of the group about the programming details of the site. He and Wang worked through the night on Aug. 8, to ensure that the next morning would run smoothly for the volunteers and that parents would immediately be able to access their accounts.

Sung's enthusiasm and expertise will continue through his younger sister, Connie, a sophomore, who slapped on some extra sunscreen Saturday morning and headed out for her second run.

Saratogahigh.com is a student-created and -operated website, launched in August of 2002, Wang said, which facilitates access to information by students, teachers and now parents.

Features on the site for students include access to each other's school schedules, homework, a contact directory, personal calendar, internal mailing system and classified-advertising section. Teachers can also post homework assignments, notes and research. And parents now have the ability to email teachers and students and view posted homework assignments.

There is even a function of the website that allows parents to plot their student's schedule on a school map for Back-to-School Night. Incoming freshmen and new students can also plot the shortest route between their classrooms on a campus map, and parents can use the school-calendar function to plan family vacations.

While stifling a yawn, Hyde, who also spent the night of Aug. 8 at the school, said she has been amazed and impressed watching the students take charge of the project.

"It's mesmerizing. It's like listening to a minicorporation, and you have to understand these kids are 16, 17 and 18 years old," Hyde said.

She added that because the school is facing budget challenges, the administration has supported and endorsed the group but does not fund or run the website. But Hyde said she has enjoyed giving her time and love to the project and students.

"We are all just zonked," she said at about 8:30 a.m. "All we are operating on is an adrenaline rush—certainly not sleep."

But even without funding, the students were able to have T-shirts made bearing the Saratogahigh.com logo as well as free coupons to Jamba Juice.

And Jackie Molzon, a senior and co-captain of the girls cross country team, said that when Wang asked the team members for the favor, they were happy to help.

"The cross country team always needs to get out and run," she said.

The school's Associated Student Body President Grace

Hsu said she volunteered on Aug. 9 because it was an environmentally friendly event and a great way to get some exercise. Hsu took a route with 15 stops down the windy Big Basin Way and said she enjoyed the view.

"I'm not a marathon runner or anything, but it was a neat experience," she said.

For more information, visit http://www.saratogahigh.com.