More than 1,200 people stopped by NBC 17's shredding event in Cary Saturday.

Many got to shred documents that they had accumulated for years.

"I'm cautious. And I think it's a valuable service that NBC 17 is providing to the community as well as the Attorney General," said Dorothy Ashworth of Raleigh, who dropped off about 80 pounds of documents.

The Attorney General's office recommends that you shred any papers with sensitive information - such as social security numbers, credit card numbers, or bank account numbers - so that it won't get into the hands of identity thieves.

"We really recommend people coming and shredding their outdated tax records and old utility bills. What's wonderful about these things, these shredding events, is that you get to shred without having to remove staples, paper clips, and so forth," said Caroline Farmer with the Attorney General's Office, who offered people information about identity theft at the event.

People who stopped by also got free snacks, including pizza from sponsor CiCi's Pizza.

"We just feel it's important to be a part of the community and get our name out there in the community and help out as much as we can," said District Manager Jim Hodges.

People also donated boxes of food for Playing Together Preschool, a local nonprofit.

Click here to find out more about how to protect yourself from identity theft.