We totally thought Mighty-O Donuts was making this up: Friday, June 5th is National Doughnut Day.
National Doughnut Day? Is this a creation from the Simpson’s? Or just a clever marketing ploy by the Lipo-Industrial Complex? Wikipedia, while allowing that “The notability of this article’s subject is in question”, informs us, no, it’s a real thing:
National Doughnut Day is on the first Friday of June each year. […] National Doughnut Day started in 1938 as a fund raiser for the Chicago Salvation Army. Their goal was to help the needy during the Great Depression, and to honor the Salvation Army “Lassies” of World War I, who served doughnuts to soldiers behind the front lines in France.
Soon after the US entrance into WWI in 1917, the Salvation Army sent a fact-finding mission to France. The mission concluded that “huts” that could serve baked goods, provide writing supplies and stamps, and provide a clothes-mending service, would serve the needs of US enlisted men. Six staff members per hut should include four female volunteers who could “mother” the boys. […]
Because of the difficulties of providing freshly-baked goods from huts established in abandoned buildings near to the front lines, two Salvation Army volunteers…came up with the idea of providing doughnuts. These are reported to have been an “instant hit”, and “soon many soldiers were visiting Salvation Army huts”. Margaret Sheldon wrote of one busy day “Today I made 22 pies, 300 doughnuts, 700 cups of coffee.”
There you have it. National Doughnut Day. So, to honor…our boys who served in The Big One? The Salvation Army? Huts? Mighty-O Donuts (2110 N 55th St) will be giving away one free organic mini-donut per customer all day Friday (6 am – 5 pm). No word whether Winchell’s will be following suit.