June 3rd is National Donut Day. The "holiday" is always celebrated on the first Friday in June.
A number of local and national donut retailers are offering free deals for customers on Friday:
Dunkin' Donuts
Multiple Tampa Bay area locations
Store hours vary
Customers can receive a free classic donut with the purchase of any beverage.
Dough
2602 S. MacDill Ave., Tampa
8:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Customers can receive one free classic-style ?donut while supplies last. Choices include glazed, jelly-filled, cinnamon twist, chocolate cake-glazed and red velvet.
Krispy Kreme
2128 W. Brandon Blvd., Brandon
4209 S. Florida Ave., Lakeland
9100 4th Street North, St. Petersburg
8425 North Florida Ave., Tampa
Store hours vary by location
Customers can receive one free regular donut.
Mini Doughnut Factory
2109 S. Dale Mabry Hwy., Tampa
6:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
The store will "dough-nate" a percentage of all its sales on Friday to Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg.
Nicola's Donuts & More
902 W. Busch Blvd., Tampa
5:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Customers can receive one free regular donut with the purchase of a dozen of Nicola's goodies.
SOHO Donut Company
117 S. Hyde Park Ave, Tampa
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Customers can receive one free classic donut with any beverage purchase; and 15 percent of the purchase of a dozen donuts.
St. Pete Bagel Co.
7043 4th Street North, St. Petersburg
11987 Indian Rocks Road, Largo
4419 66th St., Kenneth City
6:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Customers can receive one free glazed donut while supplies last.
Entenmann's is celebrating National Donut Day by giving free donuts for a year to the winner of its National Donut Day sweepstakes. You can enter on its Facebook page: www.facebook.com/Entenmanns/app/143103275748075/
Keurig is offering customers $2 off all The Original Donut Shop coffee varieties at Keurig.com from through June 7 using the code DONUTDAY.
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National Donut Day was established by the Chicago Salvation Army in 1938 to raise money for the Great Depression and commemorate the work of Salvation Army volunteers who helped feed soldiers during the First World War.
During World War I, Salvation Army "lassies" traveled to the front lines in Europe making home cooked foods, including doughnuts for troops. They were the only women outside of military personnel allowed to visit the front lines.
The "lassies" often put cooked the doughnuts in oil using soldiers' metal helmets.
On the Salvation Army's website, the organization posted the following original doughnut recipe used by "lassies" during World War:
Salvation Army Lassies' Doughnut Recipe
Yield: 4 dozen doughnuts
5 cups flour
2 cups sugar
5 teaspoons baking powder
1 ‘saltspoon’ of salt
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups milk
1 tablespoon lard
Directions:
Combine all ingredients (except for lard) to make dough.
Thoroughly knead dough, roll smooth, and cut into rings that are less than 1/4 inch thick. (When finding items to cut out doughnut circles, be creative! Salvation Army doughnut girls used whatever they could find, from baking powder cans to coffee percolator tubes.)
Drop the rings into the lard, making sure the fat is hot enough to brown the doughnuts gradually. Turn the doughnuts slowly several times.
When browned, remove doughnuts and allow excess fat to drip off.
Dust with powdered sugar. Let cool and enjoy.
To learn more about National Donut Day, visit centralusa.salvationarmy.org/metro/donutdayhistory/.
