From Staff Reports
PRESS RELEASE:
NATIONAL DONUT DAY, MADE POSSIBLE BY THE SALVATION ARMY
Who: The Salvation Army
What: National Donut Day
When: Friday, June 4, 2021 – Throughout the day – Starting at 8 a.m. for Navarro Hospital Staff
Where: Various Locations for Frontline Workers and First Responders throughout Navarro County including the Hospital, Fire Department, and Law Enforcement
Why: It’s time for the sweetest day of the year, National Donut Day! As Americans celebrate all the gooey goodness of donuts on June 4, they may not know that, unlike other fun holidays, Donut Day has a deeper meaning.
National Donut Day became a holiday thanks to The Salvation Army’s work during World War I. In 1938, The Salvation Army in Chicago celebrated the very first National Donut Day, honoring The Salvation Army’s “Donut Lassies” who traveled overseas to provide emotional and spiritual support, supplies, and other services to our troops on the front lines in France. The Lassies also provided fresh donuts and hot coffee to soldiers fighting in the trenches in order to raise their spirits and thank them for their service.
This year, to celebrate National Donut Day, The Salvation Army of Corsicana will be distributing donuts to front line workers and first responders throughout the community at the Hospital, Fire Department, and Law Enforcement offices.
Please let me know if you would like to speak with our spokesperson, Captain Jennifer R L Schmidt, about the history of Donut Day and what we have planned.
For a wide array of historical and modern Donut Day images, B-roll, and our original century-old donut recipe, click here.
THE DEEPER MEANING BEHIND NATIONAL DONUT DAY
This food-focused holiday is among the few with its roots in charitable service
On the first Friday in June, Americans celebrate all the gooey goodness of donuts. But many don’t know that National Donut Day actually has its roots in doing good. This sweet tradition dates back to World War I, when nearly 250 Salvation Army volunteers known as “Donut Lassies” traveled overseas to provide emotional and spiritual support as well as fried confections, supplies, and other services to troops on the front lines.
The Donut Lassies fried donuts in small pans and are credited with popularizing the donut in the United States when troops returned home from war. The Salvation Army in Chicago celebrated the first National Donut Day in 1938 to help those in need during the Great Depression and to commemorate the work of the Donut Lassies.
For more than a century, the organization has continued to provide a wide range of essential services like food, shelter, and emotional and spiritual support to the most vulnerable and to many of the men and women serving on the front lines of need.
“This National Donut Day, as citizens of Corsicana and Navarro County celebrate with a sweet treat, we are proud to remember that this fun tradition started with our very own volunteers over a hundred years ago,” said Captain Jennifer R L Schmidt. “If you ask me, knowing that the day has its roots in the fight for good makes those glazed pastries taste even sweeter.”
To honor the history of Donut Day, The Salvation Army of Corsicana will celebrate by distributing donuts to front line workers and first responders throughout the community as the Hospital, Fire Department, and Law Enforcement offices.
For more information about National Donut Day, to find out more about local activities, and to donate, visit www.salvationarmytexas.org
About The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army annually helps 30 million Americans overcome poverty, addiction, and economic hardships through a range of social services. By providing food for the hungry, emergency relief for disaster survivors, rehabilitation for those suffering from drug and alcohol abuse, and clothing and shelter for people in need, The Salvation Army is doing the most good at 7,600 centers of operation around the country. In the first-ever listing of “America’s Favorite Charities” by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, The Salvation Army ranked as the country’s largest privately funded, direct-service nonprofit. For more information, visit SalvationArmyUSA.org. Follow us on Twitter: @SalvationArmyUS and #DoingTheMostGood
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