National Donut Day
Celebrating the bravery of The Salvation Army Donut Lassies since 1938
History
In 1938, the first-ever National Donut Day was celebrated in Chicago, and the history of The Salvation Army’s Donut Lassies was officially immortalized. In 1917, these women were sent to France to establish field bases near the front lines. In makeshift huts, thousands of soldiers would come to stock up on essential goods and grab a sweet treat baked by the Lassies.
Both the presence of these courageous women and the donuts that tasted of home brought a light of hope and happiness to the battlefield — a much-needed morale boost for languishing soldiers. In fact, the Donut Lassies are also credited with popularizing the donut in the United States after the troops (commonly known as “doughboys”) came back from fighting in Europe. And still today, over a hundred years later, The Salvation Army continues to serve on the front lines through a wide range of social services for the most vulnerable individuals and families living in the United States. Over a hundred years later, National Donut Day remains a time to reflect on the Donut Lassies’ selfless acts of service and a time to recognize veterans' bravery and sacrifice.
The Salvation Army Honors Veterans During 87th National Donut Day Celebrations
To celebrate the 87th annual National Donut Day, The Salvation Army is teaming up with celebrity chef and baker Buddy Valastro — star of the former hit series “Cake Boss” and owner of Carlo’s Bakery. Through this partnership, Valastro will pay tribute to veterans by raising awareness about the history of the holiday and distributing donuts at a Veterans Affairs hospital in New York City. For added sweetness and to recognize his work with The Salvation Army this National Donut Day, Valastro will debut donuts at three of his New York-area bakeries, with a full rollout planned for this fall.
In addition to the national partnership with Buddy, The Salvation Army will be celebrating in communities from California to New York.
Want to try your hand at making the donuts that started it all?
Below, you’ll find our century-old recipe so you can bake and share these sweet treats with whomever needs them most.
Salvation Army WWI Donut Ingredients
Yield: 60 donuts
- 2 large eggs
- 5 cups flour
- 2 cup sugar
- 5 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 tablespoon salt
- 1 3/4 cup milk
- 1 tub lard (this can be substituted with oil)
Directions
- Combine all ingredients (except for oil) to make dough.
- Thoroughly knead dough, roll smooth, and cut into rings that are less than 1/4 inch thick. (When finding items to cut out donut circles, be creative! Salvation Army Donut Lassies used whatever they could find, from baking powder cans to coffee percolator tubes.)
- Drop the rings into the oil, making sure the oil is hot enough to brown the donuts gradually. Turn the donuts slowly several times.
- When browned, remove donuts and allow excess oil to drip off.
- Dust with powdered sugar. Let cool and enjoy!
history_edu Donut Day Origins
The Salvation Army created the first donut day event in Chicago in 1938 as a fundraiser to help those in need during The Great Depression.
trophy Winning Hearts and Stomachs
Donut Lassies were Salvation Army volunteers who baked and delivered donuts during World War I.
cooking SUGAR + FLOUR + COURAGE
The donut was, and continues to be, a taste of home and a symbol of comfort to people living in the United States.
Media Assets
picture_as_pdf Donut Day Recipe
picture_as_pdf 5 Things you Donut Know
picture_as_pdf Meet the Donut Lassies
PR Contacts
For national media inquiries, please contact The Salvation Army using the form below.
Local media are asked to first contact their local Salvation Army representative for all inquiries, including spokesperson requests.
Territorial Press ContactsLocal Contacts
For media queries, please contact
The Salvation Army
mediarelations@salvationarmy.org
Interested in a national corporate partnership?
Contact UsFor other inquiries, contact your local Salvation Army.
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