It's National Donut Day.
The Brainerd Salvation Army, in partnership with the American Legion and the VFW in Brainerd, will deliver free doughnuts to first responders in the lakes area.
Anyone can pick up a free doughnut from 10-11 a.m. at The Salvation Army Family Store, 609 Norwood St. At noon, the Brainerd VFW will commemorate the day with a plaque presented to The Salvation Army and Brainerd's mayor will proclaim it Donut Day in the city.
Celebrate the day with treats at locations across Minnesota and North Dakota.
The Salvation Army is often credited with popularizing the doughnut in America. It all started during World War I when female Salvation Army soldiers-affectionately referred to as Donut Girls-brought doughnuts to American soldiers battling on the front lines in France. Resources were so scarce, the women often fried the doughnuts in the soldiers' helmets.
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"These simple treats gave the soldiers comfort and were so popular, that the demand for them boomed when the soldiers returned home to America," explained Lt. Col. Robert Thomson, Salvation Army Northern Division commander.
The Salvation Army started National Donut Day in 1938 to honor the legacy of the Donut Girls and to raise money for people in need during the Great Depression.
