Events

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.

The “Donut Lassies” are now often credited with popularizing the donut in the United States when the troops (commonly known as “doughboys”) came back from fighting in Europe. Over a hundred years later, The Salvation Army is still serving on the front lines, now through a wide range of social services for the most vulnerable Americans.

Want to make the famous Salvation Army Doughboy Doughnut recipe? Try it out!

This year, to celebrate National Donut Day, The Salvation Army of Metro Detroit will be on site giving out donuts to healthcare workers administering the COVID-19 vaccine and those receiving the vaccine at the TCF Center.

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