Times are tough for charities, but many are finding the heart of gold at the end of the rainbow in jewelers Anne and Mike Dale.

The Gold Charity Event they are conducting in Mandeville this month will benefit the charity of the customer’s choice. Just bring in unwanted, broken or outdated jewelry to the store.

Dale will pay cash to sellers and then donate a portion of the recycling proceeds to a local charity, including Project Graduation, Food Bank, Hospice of the South, Support our War Heroes, Bone Marrow Registry, KidSense playgrounds for special needs children, Easter Seals and the Louisiana Breast Cancer Task Force. Not only does the recycling gold event give members and friends of an organization a chance to sell old jewelry and receive cash for items that are collecting dust, it recycles precious metals, which helps alleviate the need for further mining and damage to our environment.

It is also a unique way to raise thousands of dollars for great causes.

The Gold Charity Event is part of Anne Dale’s “Know What it Means” fashionable jewelry line program which began after hurricane Katrina and continues to raise money from sales for charity. Modeled from 1960’s school paper drives, this event gives everyone the chance to be part of a solution while selling their unwanted precious metals and old jewelry for cash.

“Anne Dale is a long time sponsor of our unique special-needs playgrounds that are designed and donated to area public schools,” said LeAnne Cantrell of KidSense.

Dale also sells a KidSense puzzle piece as part of her Jewelry for a Cause line that benefits the building of the playgrounds. The latest sensory playground, built especially for special needs children, is planned for Magnolia Trace Elementary and Lake Harbor Middle Schools in Mandeville. Cantrell said, “Anne Dale is helping make this dream a reality.”

Dale also evaluated jewelry from Michelle Anderson of Easter Seals. She was very surprised with the amount of money she received for the items, and said, “I had no idea that my old jewelry was worth so much. Leaving with money in my hand and knowing I just helped Easter Seals is fantastic.”

Help your favorite charity and clean out those tangled-beyond-repair gold chains by bringing them to Anne Dale Jewelry this week.

The event ends Oct. 31 at 4 p.m.