Several local charities are in line for muchneeded financial support this weekend, due to receive assistance from Belk department store and its Fall Charity Sale.

For four hours, customers at the more than 300 Belk locations in the southern U.S. will have the opportunity to support worthwhile charities as well as take advantage of special discounts on purchases made during the event.

“The Belk Charity Sale is a win-win for our customers and communities,” said Darrell Williams, Belk Inc. manager of Executive Communication. “Today’s tough economic times present a challenge to customers’ pocketbooks and also create financial difficulties for deserving non-profit organizations. The Belk Charity Sale is designed to help on both counts.”

For a donation of $5, customers will receive a ticket admitting them to the Charity Sale this Saturday from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Participants are entitled to merchandise discounts of up to 50 percent on purchases throughout the store, in addition to them receiving $5 off their first purchase of $5 or more.

Belk cardholders will also receive double rewards points for card purchases.

Tickets bought at the department store the day of the event will go to support local charities like Beaver Dam, Fairview and Oakdale Baptist churches, Cherokee County Meals On Wheels, Cherokee County Relay for Life, Senior Centers of Cherokee County and Miracle Hill Ministries.

Each participating charitable organization is selling tickets to the event, with proceeds from each $5 ticket sold being retained by the charity.

The last charity event in May raised more than $5 million for hundreds of participating nonprofit groups. Held semi-annually since 2007, Belk’s Charity Sale has raised more than $14 million to help charities trying to weather the nation’s economic downturn.

“Even in this slower economy, we’ve found that the spirit of giving to others is alive and well here in the South,” said Michele Baucom Dickey of Panorama Public Relations, a group representing Belk.