Just ask the five seniors who organized the school's sixth annual benefit fashion show, and they'll say the trick is finding enough time, energy and dedicated students with generous hearts.

Recruiting models was the easy part, says Diana Cheng, a member of the Saratoga Benefit Commission. At least 100 students from all grade levels signed up.

"The students were really enthusiastic about the show," Cheng says. "One person told another and then another. Before we knew it, we had more than enough people."

More than 200 people attended the March 13 affair held in the multipurpose room at Argonaut Elementary School. Family members, friends and teachers—some tapping their feet to the beat of the music—watched students sport the latest trends in active and formal wear with attitude on the catwalk. Taking the audience from the snow-covered hills of Lake Tahoe during the winter to the fresh air at Bel Air and the sandy beaches of Malibu, models donned snow jackets, pajamas, jerseys and clubbing attire courtesy of stores like Express, American Eagle, Abercrombie and Fitch, The Gap, Macy's and REI.

"There was so much energy in the air from the models as well as the audience," says Amanda Batanides, another of the commissioners. "People were clapping and laughing at the skits. And when times got stressful backstage, the models cheered one another on."

Themed "California Dreamin'," the show, produced by Lyndy Janes- Dangerfield, was more than about having fun on stage; it was about reaching out to a family in need. The money raised from the event will go to the Cabasug family of San Jose. The youngest in the family, 18-month-old Marcelino, is suffering from a liver-failure condition called biliary atresia and has been on the waiting list for a transplant since he was 4 months old. With only 25 percent of his liver functional, Marcelino is often in and out of the hospital due to increased susceptibility to illness.

Money is hard to come by for the family, especially since Gilbert, the father, is currently on disability and Caroline, the mother, quit her job to take care of her two sons.

"Most of the time, we're borrowing money from friends and family," Caroline says. "We have a hard time paying bills. We pray a lot—that's what gets us through this. We're truly grateful for what these students are doing for us. I don't know what else to say."

Saratoga Benefit Commissioner Maya di Costa says the family doesn't have to say anything.

"They shouldn't feel overwhelmed," Costa says. "This event is for them. We all want to help them out."

As for the commissioners and models, their reward is simply knowing that they made a difference in the lives of others.

"We all come from a privileged community," Costa says. "It feels good to give back."

The event, in the works since July 2003, was originally intended for premature babies. It wasn't until close to a week before the actual performance night that the commissioners learned about the Cabasug family through Good Samaritan Hospital. After hearing about the family's situation, Costa says the commission knew that something had to be done to help.

"We also figured that people would be more responsive with donations if there was a direct cause, as opposed to premature babies in general," Costa says.

And they were. The event yielded just under $6,000 from ticket sales, more than $1,000 of which came from VIP tickets priced at $25. In addition, supporters who did not attend the show donated several hundred dollars.

This is a huge success, according to Batanides, considering that the average from all six years is $5,000. Last year, the team raised $8,000 for the Langstaff family.