N.E.W. Salvation Army delivers doughnuts to local leaders and law enforcement
The N.E.W. Salvation Army, which serves residents of Nash, Edgecombe and Wilson counties, celebrated National Doughnut Day in style last week by handing out 70 dozen free doughnuts to local law enforcement officers, government officials and some lucky residents of those counties.
Rocky Mount Mayor Sandy Roberson was among those who received a box of the sweet treats. Roberson was surprised to learn of the connection between the Salvation Army and National Doughnut Day.
“I have long been a supporter of the work of the Salvation Army, but I had no I idea that they were responsible for making the doughnut so popular,” Roberson said.
National Doughnut Day is celebrated each year on the first Friday of June. The Salvation Army established National Doughnut Day in 1938 to honor The Salvation Army’s “Doughnut Lassies,” who made history when they risked their lives to raise spirits and fuel hope by serving soldiers during World War I, in part by delivering thousands of doughnuts and other sweet treats each day to those in the war.
In 1917, these Salvation Army volunteers traveled to France and set up makeshift huts on the front lines, where they provided essential goods and sweet treats to boost morale. The doughnut was then and continues to be a taste of home and a symbol of comfort for many Americans.
More than a hundred years later, the Salvation Army is still serving on the front lines, now through a wide range of social services for America’s most vulnerable individuals and families.
“This National Doughnut Day, as the country celebrates with a sweet treat, we are proud to remember that this tradition started with our very own volunteers more than a hundred years ago,” said Capt. Wayne Meads of the N.E.W. Salvation Army. “For us, the doughnut is a symbol of the hope that the Salvation Army provides to those in need.”
For more information about National Doughnut Day or to download the Doughnut Lassies’ original recipe, visit salarmy.us/DonutDay.