By Eliza Ridgeway

The Loh family of Los Altos - Sam, Mimi, Iris and Josiah - competed in a reality TV show that challenged their resourcefulness and ability to work together.

A Los Altos family gave the reality TV craze a family-friendly spin this month when they teamed up to compete in American Express and JetBlue Airways’ “Share the Love” competition. The Lohs, Sam, Mimi, Iris and Josiah, jetted to Los Angeles and New York City to compete against another family in a series of four philanthropic challenges.

“We were a little nervous in the beginning, but we did well,” Sam, the father of the family, said. A film crew followed the Lohs for 48 hours, filming their every move as they attempted to earn enough True Blue points to make their way home. According to the rules, they could only earn the American Express award points by making purchases for others.

The family participated in a scavenger hunt in Hollywood and cooked a pancake breakfast to raise money for firefighters in Los Angeles. Without a break, they boarded a red-eye flight to the Big Apple.

The Lohs carried out a frantic shopping spree at Bloomingdale’s but didn’t get to keep the fruits of their labor - they were doing a makeover for two models as a benefit for “Dress for Success.” The non-profit provides career clothing and support for low-income women entering the workforce.

“It was pretty crazy running through Bloomingdale’s in tennis shoes because it’s such a nice department store,” Iris, 16, said. She is a junior in high school and said that her classmates were curious about the show.

The family learned about the competition from an e-mail forwarded from a friend. They sent in a family photo, attended an interview and got the job.

“I think this was a family event,” said Mimi, a mortgage loan broker by day. “My kids were so excited about this, I wanted to go with them and just go crazy, have fun. I learned more about my kids and my husband. He’s even more creative than I thought, and I see that Iris has a lot of leadership and Josiah was so responsible throughout the whole thing.”

As a final team effort, the Lohs performed a two-minute act in front of a live audience at the Big Apple Circus, a not-for-profit performing arts program directed to families. After a crash course in clowning, they dressed head to toe in costumes and created a skit.

“We had makeup and everything. We weren’t very shy!” Iris said. “I think the audience loved it. We were crazy and just being silly out there - we went all out.”

The reality TV competition will hit the airwaves in the spring, broadcast on all JetBlue flights and on www.jetbluecard.com. Viewers can vote for a winning family based on innovativeness, charity and teamwork. In the process, the family got to spend a weekend seeing each other in a whole new context.

“My teenagers had some really great ideas, and they did really well under intense, intense pressure and anxiety,” Sam said. “In all of the interviews before and after the event, they handled themselves really well.”