LaMar’s Donuts Partners with The Salvation Army to Celebrate National Donut Day on June 2nd

  • The National Donut Day celebration will pay tribute to WWI’s historic Donut Lassies through free donuts, community engagement, and donations to the Salvation Army

Denver, May 26th, 2023

National Donut Day is Friday, June 2, and LaMar’s will be partnering with The Salvation Army to host an annual fundraising and community engagement event. Each participating LaMar’s location will also be giving away free donuts to everyone who visits a store.

National Donut Day is celebrated on the first Friday of every June — a tradition dating back to 1917, when Salvation Army volunteers known as the “Donut Lassies” made donuts for soldiers on the front lines of World War I. In celebration of this tradition, LaMar’s will be partnering with The Salvation Army to host its 9th Annual National Donut Day fundraising campaign. The campaign will be hosted by various LaMar’s locations nationwide, and it will include free donuts, donations to The Salvation Army, and community engagement with local police and fire departments. The goal of this campaign is to spread joy and give back to the community, just like the Donut Lassies did over 100 years ago.

This year’s National Donut Day fundraiser will be a celebration unlike any other. In addition to raising funds for The Salvation Army through donations, LaMar’s will match all online donations made during the week of May 28th. Each participating location will be handing out free Ray’s Original Glazed donuts to customers, along with LaMar’s National Donut Day t-shirts, while supplies last. LaMar’s will be partnering with local police and fire stations, who will volunteer their time to hand out the free donuts and t-shirts to community members at select participating locations.

In addition to celebrating the holiday at LaMar’s stores, The Salvation Army will be delivering thousands of LaMar’s donuts to the Denver and Aurora Police Departments as well as locations in Kansas City, MO, Omaha, NE, and Wichita, KS, for National Donut Day. Staff and members of the Army, along with Aurora police officers, will also hand deliver donuts to veterans at the VA Medical Center in Aurora, CO. The Salvation Army brass band will be at the medical center at 10 a.m. to perform and celebrate the national holiday.

“The Salvation Army’s tireless mission to keep children clothed, sheltered, and fed is an enduring reminder that we need to do what we can to support our community members”, shared Temi Osifodunrin, LaMar’s Director of Marketing and Advertising. “LaMar’s is thrilled to be spreading joy to our communities on National Donut Day, just like the Donut Lassies did for soldiers during World War I.”

To receive a free Ray’s Original Glazed hand-made donut on National Donut Day, LaMar’s customers must simply visit their local store. For customers who can’t make it to a LaMar’s location on National Donut Day, LaMar’s will also be mailing out “Share the LaMar’s #Donut Day Love” cards to community members in surrounding neighborhoods. These cards can be used to redeem one free donut with a hole and a small coffee. Specialty donuts & coffee will be available but will incur an upcharge when used with the card. MoreExternal Link

About LaMar’s Donuts—after developing his original donut recipe as a teenager in 1933, Ray Lamar opened the first LaMar’s Donuts in Kansas City, Missouri, on Linwood Boulevard in a converted gas station. Today, the franchised chain has 25 stores in five states. LaMar’s has won numerous awards and has earned favorable reviews by such publications as The New Yorker and Gourmet magazine. LaMar’s donuts were also the first to be reviewed and acclaimed by Zagat, the world’s most trusted guide to restaurants.

About The Salvation Army—The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the Universal Christian Church established in 1865, has supported those in need in His name without discrimination for more than 130 years in the United States. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year across 5,000 communities nationwide. MoreExternal Link