Good Riddance Day helps Arlene Roberts let go of the past and embrace 2017

NEW YORK, Dec. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ - Shred-it, along with the Times Square Alliance and Countdown Entertainment, today announced that Arlene Roberts of Antioch, California is the winner of the 2016 Good Riddance Day Contest.

In 2013, doctors diagnosed Arlene with breast cancer. While she made a full recovery, Arlene lost her hair during her chemotherapy treatments and began wearing wigs as the hair grew back. After years of struggling to accept her new hair, Arlene is now ready to embrace her natural look and do away with her wigs.

"The idea of Good Riddance Day inspired me to finally let go of my last wig, which had become a crutch holding me back from moving on and starting fresh following my treatment. I am looking forward to the opportunity to shred this symbol of the past and be rid of all the unwanted memories associated with it," said Arlene. "I also hope my story inspires and motivates others to move forward in life and feel confident with who they are now."

Arlene was selected from thousands of entrants across the country by a panel of judges made up of representatives from Shred-it and the Times Square Alliance. As the grand prize winner, Arlene will enjoy a five-night trip to New York for Good Riddance Day on December 28 where she will be the first in line to securely destroy her wig and move forward to a brighter future. As part of her trip, Arlene will also have the chance to experience the official New Year's Eve 2017 VIP Party in Times Square.

"Good Riddance Day is the perfect opportunity to start the New Year by symbolically and physically ridding ourselves of unfavourable items from our past," said Brandon Green, District Manager, Shred-it. "We thank everyone who submitted and shared their stories with us. We're excited about the upcoming event and proud to help participants gain closure by securely shredding and recycling their forgettable memories from the past year."

New Yorkers and visitors to the city are invited to this free tenth annual event at which Shred-it will park a mobile shredding truck in Times Square. Participants are encouraged to bring their funny, outlandish or heartbreaking items from the past and destroy their unpleasant memories in a sustainable way.

"We have made it to our tenth annual Good Riddance Day celebration, preparing for the New Year by reflecting on the past and looking for ways to improve and enrich our lives," says Tim Tompkins, President, Times Square Alliance. "This event is a natural lead-in to our New Year's Eve countdown, where everyone will let go of the past and get ready to celebrate the future."

Good Riddance Day will take place on December 28, 2016 in New York City's Times Square Broadway Plaza between 45^th and 46^th Streets from noon to 1pm EDT.  All the shredded material generated on Good Riddance Day will be baled and sent to nearby recycling plants to be turned into something usable like everyday paper products. For every ton of paper shredded and recycled, 17 trees, 4,100 kilowatts of energy and 3.5 cubic yards of landfill space will be saved.

If you can't attend but still want to take part, Shred-it and the Times Square New Year's Eve team encourage you to tweet at #GoodRiddanceDay to have your entry shredded on the day of the event.

To learn more about the contest, please visit: www.shredit.com/GoodRiddanceDay.  You can also stay informed with Shred-it on Facebook and LinkedIn or you can follow us on Twitter at @Shredit or use the hashtag #GoodRiddanceDay.

For more information on Times Square New Year's Eve, please visit: www.TimessquareNYC.org/NewYearsEve.

Times Square Alliance:
Like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timessquarenyc
Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/timessquarenyc
Follow on Instagram: http://instagram.com/TimesSquareNYC

Times Square Ball:  www.TimessquareBall.net

About Shred-it
Shred-it is a world-leading information security company providing information destruction services that ensure the security and integrity of our clients' private information. A wholly owned subsidiary of Stericycle, Shred-it operates in 170 markets throughout 18 countries worldwide, servicing more than 400,000 global, national and local businesses. For more information, please visit www.shredit.com.

About Times Square New Year's Eve
The Times Square Alliance and Countdown Entertainment are the organizers of Times Square New Year's Eve. The Times Square Alliance works to improve and promote Times Square so that it retains the energy, edge and distinctiveness that have made it an icon of entertainment, culture and urban life. Countdown Entertainment, which represents the owners of One Times Square, and the New Year's Eve Ball, is a marketing management and event production company specializing in the Times Square area.

SOURCE Shred-it