Page title showing a yellowed grungy background with a logo which reads "From Trenches to Triumph U.S.A." The logo is circular in shape with a red, white and blue upper border and a red, yellow and blue lower border. Below the logo is text in navy blue which reads "The Salvation Army in World War I"
Black and white photo of a group of Salvationists wearing uniforms and bonnets. They pose with American flags and a wreath of flowers and doughnuts
St. Louis, MO Salvationists commemorate National Doughnut Day 1919.
Black and white photo showing a woman with white hair and glasses, wearing a dress and fancy apron. She stands at the stove in her mid-20th century kitchen. She is frying doughnuts
Mrs. Margaret Sheldon Stuffelbeam frying doughnuts in her kitchen on National Doughnut Day 1959. For the remainder of her life, she was asked for her doughnut recipe and to make doughnuts for special events.
Black and white photo of three Chicago White Sox baseball club players purchasing Doughnut Day tags from two female Salvationists.
Celebrities are often featured in National Doughnut Day promotions. Here, three members of the Chicago White Sox baseball club purchase Doughnut Day tags from two Salvationsts.

National Doughnut Day

The Salvation Army has held doughnut themed fundraising events since 1918. At first, freshly made doughnuts were sold, auctioned, or offered for a donation. War Service workers and celebrities often participated in these events. Doughnut Days remained a popular fundraising event for the Army through the early 1930s. Chicago revived the tradition in 1938 and began the modern National Doughnut Day fundraiser.

A poster which features a photo of a female Salvation Army officer holding a paper Doughnut Day bank. Text reads: "It's really you helping people ... The Salvation Army Doughnut Day Friday, June 10"
Posters, like this, help to remind donors of upcoming National Doughnut Days.

Today, National Doughnut Day is celebrated on the first Friday in June. In many cities Doughnut Day is an official “tag day” where souvenir paper tags are given to pedestrians and drivers who give money to designated collectors. In some cases participating bakeries exchange these tags for a doughnut.

Doughnut Day events continue to raise awareness for Salvation Army programs and honor the War Service workers. The money raised helps to fund local social services programs providing shelter, food, early childhood education, afterschool programing, music education, and more.

Want to taste an authentic Salvation Army doughnut? You can make them at home with Ensign Minnie Burdick’s World War I recipe. Click here to find Minnie’s doughnut recipe and more in the online exhibit “The Burdicks: A Glimpse at a Family Through Treasures Left Behind.”

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