How a simple act of kindness on the WWI front lines became a tradition of generosity still celebrated today.
It started with a donut. More than a century ago, Salvation Army volunteers known as the "Donut Lassies" made their way to the front lines of World War I carrying freshly made donuts for American soldiers — a small gesture that meant the world to those far from home. That tradition became something much bigger: National Donut Day, celebrated every year on the first Friday of June.
This year, on June 6, 2026, The Salvation Army Hawaiian & Pacific Islands Division is honoring that legacy by spreading aloha to first responders, veterans, and community supporters across Hawaiʻi.
The Lassies Who Started It All
The roots of National Donut Day go all the way back to World War I, when Salvation Army volunteers braved the battlefield to bring soldiers a taste of comfort and home. Working out of cramped conditions with limited supplies, the Donut Lassies improvised — using baking powder cans and coffee percolator tubes as cutters, frying dough in whatever they could find. Their ingenuity and compassion became legendary.
In 1938, The Salvation Army established National Donut Day as an official fundraiser during the Great Depression — a salute to those brave women and a reminder that simple acts of kindness can carry enormous weight. Today, the holiday is still very much about that: sharing a little sweetness with the people around us, especially those who serve others.
Spreading Aloha Across Hawaiʻi
This Donut Day, The Salvation Army Hawaiian & Pacific Islands Division is making deliveries to fire and police departments, emergency disaster response partners, and other public servants who make a positive impact in their communities. Local businesses are joining in too.
- Kamehameha Bakery on Kalani Street in Honolulu is donating donuts for The Salvation Army to distribute to nearby fire and police departments and emergency response partners.
- Island Craves Kauai on Kuhio Hwy. donated refreshments for County of Kauaʻi staff at a Donut Day event held earlier this week.
"Together with support from local partners throughout communities in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific, we are able to carry on the spirit of what National Donut Day is truly about — bringing joy to our often unsung neighborhood heroes, and recognizing how our collective acts of kindness, no matter the size of the gesture, can transform lives."
— Major Troy Trimmer, Divisional Commander, The Salvation Army Hawaiian & Pacific Islands Division
Try the Original Recipe
Want to celebrate at home? Try making the same recipe that Salvation Army Donut Lassies used during World War I — simple, hearty, and made to share.
Download the WWI Donut Recipe (PDF)
Join the Celebration
The best way to mark National Donut Day? Pick up a donut from your neighborhood bakery and share it with someone who serves your community. A first responder, a teacher, a volunteer, a neighbor. The Donut Lassies understood that a small act of kindness — offered with genuine warmth — can mean far more than the gesture itself.
Follow The Salvation Army's Hawaiian & Pacific Islands Division on Instagram (@salarmyhi) and Facebook for the latest updates.