As autumn heads into winter, the local chapter of the Red Cross is springing into fall with its annual fundraiser, “The Great Escape.”

Attendees of the event at the Dayton Country Club will be able to “Give Something That Means Something,” which is this year’s theme, designed to encourage residents to “give the gift of hope in their local communities by helping someone in need,” said Soteria Brown, regional communications officer for the Greater Cincinnati/Dayton Region Chapter of the Red Cross.

The festivities will include a cocktail party with live music and dancing, and a silent auction of gifts donated by local businesses. Bidders need only purchase a ticket to the event to be eligible to participate in the silent auction. Visit www.facebook.com/DaytonRedCross for a sneak peek at some of the items, which include a pair of Huffy Panama Jack bicycles donated and assembled by Huffy; gift baskets from Cabot Cheese and Mary Kay Cosmetics; and a jersey signed by Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Samardo Samuels.

The grand prize will be a travel package. The winner will choose one of three packages: a round-trip American Airlines flight to anywhere in the U.S.; up to three days’ lodging in any Hyatt Resort; or up to three days at any Fairmont Resort.

“We have some really great things for our silent auction,” Brown said. “It’s sort of like holiday shopping for a great cause.”

Proceeds from the event will benefit the local Red Cross’ numerous relief and education programs — assisting families after house fires, housing the homeless and teaching such life-saving skills as first aid, CPR and water safety, among others.

Formerly held in the spring, The Great Escape is the brainchild of the Dayton-area chapter’s Associate Board, a volunteer group of young professionals who donate their time and efforts to recruiting other volunteers, fund-raising, providing relief to disaster victims and helping people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies.

Several of these volunteers were deployed to New Jersey and Pennsylvania days before Superstorm Sandy, which pummeled the East Coast. As of Nov. 5, more than 40 others have joined them to assist with mobile feeding, distribution, recovery and clean-up.