Shred-A-Thon a Success

More than 500 people turned out to Martinsville Speedway Monday with boxes, bags, crates and even a trailer or two filled with personal documents to be professionally shredded.

By day’s end, more than 50,000 pounds of paper had been collected.

WSLS Channel 10, Kodiak Shredding and the speedway partnered for the free Shred-A-Thon to help prevent identity theft. It was an environmentally-friendly project, with all shredded paper recycled.

“It was amazing to see so many people turn out. From the time the gates opened at six this morning until it ended at 2 o’clock, there was a steady stream of people into the infield,” Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell said. “We are proud to have been a part of this and are happy that so many members of our community turned out.”

WSLS and Kodiak have partnered on past events, but this was the first in Martinsville.

“Fifty-thousand pounds the first time out … that is exceptional,” said Toni Henry, vice-president of the Lynchburg-based shredding company. “It has been mostly residential that has come through today and that is rare because we usually get a ton of businesses. “I think this speaks volumes for this community. There are so many elderly that need an event like this because they are the prime targets of identity theft.

“We’ve had people today who have said ‘this is 50 years of my husband and my life together’ or ‘you won’t believe it, I’m 93 and I want to take care of this so my daughter won’t have to’.”

Monday’s event was the third-and-final stop in a series of shredding opportunities offered by WSLS and Kodiak this spring and the first in the Martinsville area.