Overview
- The Salvation Army Massachusetts Division held free doughnut giveaways in Boston, Cambridge and other communities and used its Emergency Disaster Services teams to deliver doughnuts to police, fire stations, teachers and veterans on Friday.
- Local coverage by WCVB published the charity’s World War I doughnut recipe that is attributed to the original Donut Lassies and ran stories recounting the holiday’s origins.
- Major Elijah Kahn, general secretary of the Salvation Army Massachusetts Division, said the celebration “connects directly to who we are and where we came from,” linking the outreach to the organization’s history.
- The holiday traces to 1917 when Salvation Army volunteers hand-fried doughnuts for U.S. troops in France and to 1938 when the charity formalized National Doughnut Day in Chicago to honor that service.
- By combining public giveaways, targeted deliveries and historical storytelling the event reinforces the Salvation Army’s role in community relief and public recognition, which could raise local support for veterans and first responders.