The History of National Donut Day

<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW229176159 BCX4"> <p><span data-contrast="auto">Today is Donut Day. Believe it or not, the day wasn’t founded by Krispy Kreme or Dunkin but by The Salvation Army in Chicago in 1938 to commemorate their “</span><a href= "https://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/national-donut-day/"><span data-contrast="none">Donut Lassies</span></a><span data-contrast="auto">” who served during World War I.</span><span data-ccp-props= "{"201341983":0,"335559731":720,"335559739":160,"335559740":480}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">Methodist minister William Booth founded The Salvation Army in the 1860s to care for the poor in London. It was originally called the</span> <span data-contrast= "auto"><a href= "https://www.salvationarmy.org/doctrine/history?utm_campaign=Product%20-%20Breakpoint%20Daily%20BPD&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9-gBXmDwyQ_Dqtp3qa5eMh6LMdeYSGV4zkWIfHGUHwX3EK67xlAp0W7k5i3GjwJyOlrYeL"> East London Revival Society</a>.</span> <span data-contrast= "auto">During World War I, the organization</span> <a href= "https://www.salvationarmy.org.uk/about-us/international-heritage-centre/virtual-heritage-centre/war-and-emergency#:~:text=During%20the%20First%20World%20War,officers%20also%20served%20as%20chaplains."> <span data-contrast="none">provided ambulances, clothing for soldiers, and refreshment huts.</span></a> <span data-contrast= "auto">Booth’s daughter, Evangeline, told volunteers,</span> <a href= "https://militaryhistorynow.com/2018/10/23/the-salvation-army-goes-to-war-how-the-american-arm-of-the-world-famous-charity-saved-both-lives-and-souls-during-ww1/"> <span data-contrast="none">“You are going overseas to serve Christ. … You must forget yourselves, be examples of His love, be willing to endure hardship, to lay down your lives, if need be, for His sake.”</span></a></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">T</span><span data-contrast="auto">he Donut Lassies stationed at the refreshment huts in France served donuts to the weary men on the front lines to bri