Today, the first Friday in June, is National Doughnut Day, and this year marks the 75th anniversary of the holiday.
This holiday was created by a Salvation Army in Chicago in 1938, to honor the “Donut Lassies” who brought treats like coffee and doughnuts to soldiers on the front line in World War I, according to Eatocracy. The Huffington Post says it was also a way for the Salvation Army to raise money during the Great Depression.
Things have changed since then. In fact, the Salvation Army website for Chicago states that creating the doughnuts for soldiers was done very differently than it is today. The website explains, “With limited resources, these treats were fried, only seven at a time. The Salvation Army’s Ensign Margaret Sheldon and Adjutant Helen Purviance cleverly thought of frying donuts in soldiers’ helmets.”
To make the Salvation Army’s original doughnut recipe – the same ones those soldiers got during the war – you can find the recipe here.
In honor of the landmark anniversary, the Salvation Army in New York has joined forces with Entenmann’s to create the biggest box of doughnuts ever made. Here are some interesting tidbits, via the Salvation Army’s site, which you might not know about Entenmann’s.
• To date, the company has made over 4 billion doughnuts
• The Rich Frosted Donut has been the #1 seller since its introduction in 1972 – 40 years ago
• The Entenmann’s family created the see-through cake boxes for baked goods in 1959
• Frank Sinatra was a fan
Other doughnut retailers like Dunkin Donuts and Krispy Kreme are marking the ocassion by giving away free treats today.
