After the 2001 event, it looked like the clock had indeed struck midnight and the giving was over. The tech community was no longer soaring high, the economy was in a slump and most of the founders had moved on. After 16 years, the more than $10 million raised to benefit 175 nonprofits was to become just a reminder of a community that once graciously gave back.

Enter Lynda Evjen, who candidly admits, "I never was active with this at all. We were outside the loop of being invited because we weren't in the tech industry. If we ever came to the ball, it was because of friends."

Yet Evjen is chairing this year's April 24 ball.

After chairing the Cattle Baron's Ball in 1999, raising $1 million for the American Cancer Society and raising $500,000 at the 2002 YWCA Professional Women's Luncheon with guest speaker Patty Duke, Evjen was approached by David Heiman, president of the Silicon Valley Charity Ball Board of Directors, and Donna Rubin, vice president. Both were impressed with her work on those fundraisers.

"Lynda has brought a new energy and enthusiasm to the board. She knows everybody and had done everything in the valley, and she's a wonderful asset. The ball is extremely lucky and grateful to have her," says Heiman, a Willow Glen resident.

Initially, Evjen says, she resisted, but changed her mind when she recognized the potential.

"I got excited about what they funded. I was always doing something for InnVision or Via. This I could chair and become the voice for the nonprofit community and really make a difference. Instead of small fundraisers, we could go with this kind of event and make noise for the nonprofits," she says.

While she recognized the potential, Evjen also recognized the timing was off for another ball.

"I thought 2003 is not the year to call everybody and ask them to buy a table," she says.

Instead, Evjen sent out a mailing inviting people to skip the ball but still support the charities with a contribution.

"We raised $300,000 with that. Then, I knew to keep the organization alive, we'd have to come back with the ball," she says. "And I thought, if I was going to do a ball, what was the most wonderful ball?"

For Evjen the answer was that, obviously, it had to be a Cinderella Ball.

Evjen also knew some changes were necessary.

She moved the location from the San Jose Convention Center to the Fairmont Hotel, which limits ticket sales to 1,100. She also broadened the invitation base.

"We're reaching out to other parts of the community besides high tech, to include other fields and other markets," she says.

Evjen also formed the SVCB League to promote events and ticket sales, enticing many socially prominent women from throughout Silicon Valley to join.

The league's initial event was an afternoon tea with a Saint John fashion show. Proceeds from that $50-a-person event are being used to help high school seniors with prom and graduation expenses.

Evjen also involved the nonprofit community by asking it to nominate people for a Royal Court, with a prince and princess to be crowned the night of the ball.

"We asked them to nominate people who give time and dedication to nonprofits, not just people who give money," she says. "We got 75 nominations, and the league culled it down to 10. At our board meeting we picked the final two, who will be announced that night."

If all goes well, Evjen says, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will do the crowning.

Evjen is also instituting a live auction, which includes a golden retriever puppy, a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, and a Murano glass slipper from Venice designed specifically for the ball. At midnight, a lucky ticket holder wins a 2004 Hummer donated by General Motors.

To keep things lively, Fabian and Bobby Rydell will perform, as will the Cool Jerks Orchestra.

Evjen is optimistic they will reach their goal of raising $500,000, as is Heiman.

"It's still a tough fundraising environment out there," he says.

"We'd love to be able to raise $1 million again, but the fundraising environment is not like it was four years ago. We felt even if we can raise a little bit of money, the community really needs the help, and nonprofits don't need another source of funding drying up right now."

Heiman and Evjen are confident enough about this year that they've already chosen April 30 as the date for the 2005 ball.

Agencies benefiting from the ball are Emergency Housing Consortium, InnVision, Loaves and Fishes Family Kitchen, Meals on Wheels, Next Door Solutions of Domestic Violence, Resource Area for Teachers and After-School All-Stars Greater San Jose. Additional agencies will be named following the ball.

Tickets for the Cinderella Ball, which starts at 6 p.m. April 24, are $250 and up. For information or reservations, call 408.260.0254.