June 11, 2026
Momentum Coffee owner Nikki Bravo serves complimentary morning coffee to community members during The Salvation Army's National Donut Day celebration outside Jewel-Osco in Chicago on June 5, 2026. The Salvation Army mascot Shieldy joins in the fun.
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The Salvation Army Celebrates 88 Years of National Donut Day Across Chicagoland
If you spotted free donuts in and around your neighborhood today, there's a story behind them that most Chicagoans don't know. National Donut Day exists because of The Salvation Army. The holiday traces back to the organization's female volunteers who served donuts to soldiers on the front lines of World War I and was formally established as an annual celebration in Chicago in 1938. Today, 88 years later, The Salvation Army marked the occasion with community celebrations across the Chicagoland area — right where it all began.