National Donut Day, Made Possible by The Salvation Army

Whether you prefer jelly-filled, cake, or glazed donuts, everyone can agree that National Donut Day is the sweetest day of the year. Held annually on the first Friday in June, National Donut Day was created in 1938 as a symbol of hope to honor The Salvation Army Donut Lassies who served the sweet treats to soldiers on the front lines of World War I.

"Armed with their faith and little more than a helmet, rolling pins and donut supplies, the Donut Lassies provided the soldiers a piece of home in the trenches of eastern France," said Lt. Col. Ward Matthews, national community relations and development secretary for The Salvation Army. "The donut was and continues to be a symbol of the comfort and support that The Salvation Army provides to more than 23 million people in need each year."

To commemorate the work that the Donut Lassies started in 1917, and to demonstrate the impact of a small token of kindness, The Salvation Army will deliver thousands of donuts around the country on National Donut Day, June 1. Just a few of the many donut deliveries include:

• With the help of Entenmann's, The Salvation Army will host 40 "Do Good Donut Parties" across the country, serving free donuts to more than 8,500 veterans.
• The Salvation Army in Denver, Colorado, in partnership with LaMar's Donuts, will put on a weeklong scavenger hunt leading up to National Donut Day and will use an Emergency Disaster Services canteen, or "Emergency Donut Vehicle," to deliver free donuts to first responders on the day of with the help of Donut Lassies.
• In Los Angeles, The Salvation Army and BakeMark will host the second annual Donut Eating Championship at the iconic Hollywood landmark TCL Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard.
• Continuing their annual celebration, The Salvation Army in Cincinnati, Ohio, will host an event in Fountain Square where free donuts will be provided by local donut shops.
• In partnership with Disabled American Veterans, The Salvation Army in Honolulu will serve free donuts to veteran patients at Tripler Army Medical Center.
• To learn more about National Donut Day, see a full list of the day's activities, and find out how you can get involved with your local Salvation Army, visit SalvationArmyUSA.org.

About The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army, established in London in 1865, has been supporting those in need without discrimination for more than 135 years in the U.S. More than 23 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through a range of social services: food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless, and opportunities for underprivileged children. For every dollar donated to The Salvation Army, 82 cents is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. The Salvation Army tracks the level of need across the country with the Human Needs Index (HumanNeedsIndex.org). For more information, go to SalvationArmyUSA.org or follow on Twitter @SalvationArmyUS.

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