Free document shredding, Saturday, July 23, with entertainment

Photo by David Morris

You have just over a week to get those old tax returns, love letters, and embarrassing photos together so you can have them professionally shredded, for free, by the DataSite company.

Fill your car.  There's no limit.  

From 9 am to noon on Saturday, July 23, bring your old files to the Lake Forest Park Windermere, 17711 Ballinger Way NE, just inside Lake Forest Park Towne Centre.  Take the first driveway off Ballinger and turn right, the building is in the northwest corner.

Staples and paper clips are ok, but take out the binder clips - they jam the shredding equipment.  And no x-rays, CDs or other forms of media.

It's going to take a lot of shredded paper to get all these kids to Ireland.
Photo from Dublin Dollars.org

DataSite will sell the shredded paper for reuse and donate the proceeds to Dublin Dollars, the volunteer organization which is raising money to send the Shorecrest marching band and choir to march in the 2012 St. Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland.

Members of the band will be playing during the shredding event. 

If you are wondering what tax documents you should keep and which you should shred, here's advice from a tax accountant:

Retain the basic information used for the tax return for 5 years. Other, non-tax receipts should be kept for three years. I think pay stubs need only be kept for three. You should keep your tax returns permanently.