On June 4, The Salvation Army Austin is celebrating one of its oldest, and most smile-inducing traditions. Each year, National Donut Day is celebrated in the United States on the first Friday in June. H-E-B has donated glazed donuts that Austin Area Command will deliver to first responders, frontline workers, and stakeholders in our mission.
“We look forward to this tradition every year because we get to tell the community about The Salvation Army’s donut history while spreading joy through donuts,” said Major Lewis Reckline, Austin Area Commander. “This day is also important because we recognize and remember the brave men and women who have served, and are still serving, our country.”
How it all got started:
Started by The Salvation Army on the first Friday in June in 1938, National Donut Day was created to honor the Donut Lassies who served the sweet treats to soldiers on the frontlines of World War I.
American Salvation Army Lassies set sail for France on August 12, 1917, determined to bring comfort to the soldiers manning the rain-soaked trenches of “No Man’s Land.” Setting up huts and tents, the young women held services, wrote letters, sewed buttons, and brewed coffee; all reminding the young men of their homes across the ocean. A group of soldiers requested donuts, having no supplies the Lassies promised they would make them if the men could find the supplies. The men built a stove of mud and stone, the next day the Lassies baked the first batch of donuts from 18 pounds of flour, nine pounds of sugar, six cans of milk, six cans of water, a pound of baking powder and a tablespoon each of vanilla, lemon and mace. That small first batch soon grew to 5,000 donuts a day. According to one historian, many Lassies crawled through the trenches with boxes of warm donuts and pots of hot coffee, whispering “Hi soldier. Have some coffee and sinkers.” The Lassies would pray with the soldiers there in the trenches, reassuring many frightened young men. More than 1500 young Salvationists served on the French, Italian, and Russian war fronts; over 500 of them came from the United States.
For more information about National Donut Day and The Salvation Army, please visit SalvationArmyAustin.org
About the Salvation Army
The Salvation Army has been supporting those in need for more than 132 years in the Austin area. The Salvation Army is Central Texas’ largest provider of emergency shelter. We manage The Austin Shelter for Women and Children, The Rathgeber Center for Families, The Downtown Shelter and Social Services Center, and The Williamson County Service Center. Locally, thousands of people receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through services that include providing relief for disaster victims, rehabilitation for the addicted, clothing and shelter for those experiencing homelessness, and case management to help people move from crisis to stability. For more information, go to SalvationArmyAustin.org
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