NEW YORK, Dec. 11, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Shred-it International, along with partners the Times Square Alliance and Countdown Entertainment, today announced that Maureen Dexter of Wenatchee, Washington is the winner of the 2015 Good Riddance Day Contest.
In 2015, Maureen embarked on a life-changing weight loss journey. As she shed 70 pounds, Maureen became leaner, stronger and more self-confident and now she's ready to carry that momentum into 2016.
"Good Riddance Day provides an opportunity for me to say goodbye to the old me in style," said Maureen. "Securely shredding my "before" photo will be a symbolic shift from the person I was in the past to the person I want to be in 2016. I know this will be my best year yet."
Maureen was selected from hundreds of entrants across the country by a panel of judges from Shred-it, the Times Square Alliance and Countdown Entertainment. As the grand prize winner, Maureen receives a five-night trip to New York City for Good Riddance Day on December 28. She will be the first in line to securely destroy the items that anchor her to her past self.
"Good Riddance Day is a time to reflect on the year that was, and get excited for a fresh new start by symbolically purging the negative from our lives," said Bruce Andrew, SVP at Shred-it. "We are thankful to all those who shared their stories with us. We look forward to the event and helping those who will participate, securely shred and recycle their forgettable memories from the past year to move forward with a clean slate."
New Yorkers and visitors to the city are invited to this annual event at which Shred-it will park a mobile shredding truck in Times Square so anyone hoping for a fresh start can bring mementos and watch their funny, outlandish and sometimes heartbreaking memories of the past year be permanently destroyed in a sustainable way.
"An essential part of preparing for the New Year is to reflect on the past and look for ways to make the future brighter," says Tim Tompkins, president, Times Square Alliance. "Good Riddance Day is a natural lead-in to our New Year's Eve countdown—everyone will let go of the past and get ready to celebrate the future."
Good Riddance Day will take place on December 28, 2015 in New York City's Times Square Broadway Plaza between 46th and 47th 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 and all while saving resources. 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.
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 hashtag #GoodRiddanceDay.
For more information on Times Square New Year's Eve, please visit www.TimesSquareNYC.org/NewYearsEve.
Times Square Alliance:
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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.