National Doughnut Day

Every year National Doughnut Day is celebrated across the country but what many people don’t know is that The Salvation Army is the reason for the holiday and for making doughnuts an American breakfast staple.  This year, The Salvation Army and Merritt’s Bakery are teaming up again to celebrate National Doughnut Day on Friday, June 1st!

It all started back in 1917 when a Salvation Army lassie, Helen Purviance and a fellow officer Ensign Margaret Sheldon used a small frying pan, simple dough and a wine bottle as a rolling pin to make crullers to feed to the homesick boys on the front lines in France during WWI.  The fresh aroma drew a long line of soldiers to their tent and soon they were serving 9,000 doughnuts a day, along with the other “lassies” in the trenches.  The Salvation Army lassies quickly became known as “doughnut girls” and the simple doughnut became a symbol of all that the Salvation Army was doing to ease the hardships of the frontline fighting man.  The soldiers returned from war with a new favorite snack, the doughnut and breakfast was forever changed!


In honor of National Doughnut Day on Friday, June 1st Merritt’s Bakery will be giving a FREE (1) doughnut with any drink purchase, while supplies last.  Salvation Army officers will be in stores, with the famous red kettles that morning to greet the community and wish everyone a happy doughnut day! To honor The Salvation Army, Merritt’s Bakery will also be providing doughnuts to feed the homeless staying at the Center of Hope on Friday morning.

We hope that you all can join in and support the Salvation Army and enjoy a free Merritt’s doughnut (while supplies last)! Donuts offered will include: Cake Donuts:  Chocolate chocolate, Chocolate sprinkle, Chocolate cake with glaze, White sprinkle, Cherry, Coconut, Plain cake, Cinnamon sugar, Cinnamon crunch, White cake with chocolate icing, M&M, Applesauce, Blueberry, Maple. Yeast/Glazed Donuts: Chocolate glazed, Glazed and Maple Glazed!
Visit Merritt's at one of their three locations:

Midtown
15th & Harvard

South
71st & Garnett

Riverside
101st & Riverside

I'm super excited, aren't you?

~Lindsay