"The Big Deal: A Night of Charity and Chance" is coming to the Los Gatos Opera House on Oct. 7 for the second straight year, and the chamber promises it will give attendees a night of Vegas-style glitz and glamour. While gambling and charity may sound like an odd pairing, the purpose behind the event is to raise money for chamber programs and for the Silicon Valley Children's Hospital Foundation, headquartered in Saratoga.

The gala event includes silent and live auctions, casino-style gambling and gourmet food donated by some of the area's top chefs.

Local residents and businesses have contributed some impressive items, and Brenda Hammond, who is in charge of the auctions, says the list is even bigger and better than last year. Attendees will bid on such items as the use of a Lake Tahoe vacation home for three nights; a weekend stay at a beachfront Capitola condo; a $1,000 package that includes pampering treatments at The Spa Los Gatos, dinner and a hotel stay; autographed items from sports stars such as Brandi Chastain and Keri Walsh; field-level seats for five Oakland A's games; use of a luxury box for a San Francisco Giants game; fine art and jewelry; electronics and more.

In addition to fabulous food and prizes, live music and dancing will wrap up the night into one very pretty package, Hammond says.

"We're very proud of last year's event, which raised over $35,000," Hammond says in a press release for the event. "Our goal is to make this year's event more exciting ... and even more successful."

And it's not really gambling if all the money goes to a good cause, right?

"The Big Deal: A Night of Charity and Chance" takes place from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Los Gatos Opera House, 140 Main St., on Oct. 7. Tickets are $100 per person. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce, 349 N. Santa Cruz Ave., or call 408.354.9300. Tickets are also available at www.losgatosweb.com. For more information on the Silicon Valley Children's Hospital Foundation, visit www.svch.org.