On Friday, the Salvation Army will celebrate National Donut Day, honoring a time-honored tradition that began on the front lines of World War I and continues today through the organization’s ongoing mission of service and support.

National Donut Day was first established in 1938 by The Salvation Army in Chicago to pay tribute to the “Donut Lassies,” a group of women who served soldiers during World War I by providing them with homemade donuts, coffee, and a touch of home amid the horrors of war. These brave volunteers used makeshift tools—sometimes even frying donuts in soldiers’ helmets—to deliver comfort and compassion to those fighting overseas.

Today, National Donut Day is more than a celebration of sweets—it’s a celebration of service.

“The donut became a symbol of care during one of the most difficult times in history,” said Capt. Thomas Johnson of The Salvation Army in Troy.  “And now, more than 100 years later, The Salvation Army continues that mission by bringing comfort, hope, and practical help to people in need every day.”

Johnson said Pike County residents can honor the caring spirt of the Donut Lassies by supporting the local Pike County Service Center on South Brundidge Street with donations of dollars and items to the Service Center on South Brundidge Street and as volunteers with the annual Red Kettle Campaign, the Empty Bowls Luncheon and other programs that enable the Salvation Army to” do the most good” in Pike County.