Just before Halloween, administrators at Cupertino heard that one of their students and her family were displaced by a fire at their home. Within two weeks, the staff and student body banded together to stage a benefit dance, which raised more than $2,000 for the family.

And donations continue to pour in.

"I'm new to this school, and I was so impressed," said Alison Coy, an assistant principal at Cupertino. "It said a great deal about the Cupertino community that even in tough economic times, everyone gave some money."

The student, a girl who recently moved to the area with her family and started at Cupertino this year, does not wish to be identified. Few of her classmates even knew much about who they were helping.

"It was really rushed," said Robert Frink, Cupertino's ASB president. "We found out a little bit of information—the fire caused financial problems that were going to get worse, the student had to drop out to take care of a younger sibling."

Frink and his 32-member leadership class "brainstormed a bunch of ideas," he said, and came up with a benefit dance. The idea was approved on Nov. 5, a Friday, and the dance was scheduled for the following Wednesday. Students were off the day after the dance for the Veterans' Day holiday.

The next five days were a blur of activity for Frink and the other members of ASB, with Safeway and Starbucks donating drinks for concessions and a deejay offering his services at a reduced rate. Teachers volunteered to chaperone, and donation jars were set up at the dance, which was held at the school. Admission to the Thanksgiving Benefit Dance was $5, and about 150 students showed up according to Student Activities Director Terri Hannigan, which is about half the normal amount for a Cupertino dance.

However, Coy said the number actually on the dance floor didn't reflect the true level of participation. "There were a number of kids who didn't want to go to the dance, and we don't allow students from other schools to come to our dances," she said. "So there were kids who showed up to donate and then left." Hannigan said the dance raised $2,100 for the family.

The dance was just the first level of donations. Coy said she's received almost $2,000 in additional contributions. "A teacher walked out of a meeting about this and returned with $200 in gift certificates," she said. "A parent called and wanted to give free day care. I'm getting calls about things like furniture, and I'm just passing along that information since I'm not sure what they need. It's amazing generosity."

Thanks to the money raised by the Cupertino High community, Coy said that the family just recently moved from a hotel to a more permanent location. "Each high school in the district has a stereotype, and I've heard that ours is that we're welcoming and have a community feeling," Frink said. "I've never seen a school band together this much."