WAUSAU – The public, area police and fire departments, emergency responders, and military service personnel are invited to receive free donut holes on Thursday at The Salvation Army on Callon Street as a gesture reminiscent of The Salvation Army “doughnut lassies” who served donuts and coffee to the soldiers in the trenches on the frontlines in WWI and WWII to offer encouragement. Staff members and volunteers are frying them on-site, using the authentic recipe.
The donuts will be handed out from the Emergency Disaster Services canteen truck that is called to disasters and emergency scenes to support emergency services personnel working at the scenes and provide immediate food and water help to victims. The truck will be parked in the parking lot at 202 Callon Street from 3 to 6 p.m. Thursday, June 2. Visitors will also get a glimpse into what it must have been like for the young women by being able to view a brief interview re-enactment with a doughnut lassie.
According to historical accounts, the doughnut lassies were instrumental in helping the soldiers cope with the horrors of war by providing some comforts of home: coffee, cakes, and the donuts, sometimes fried in an overturned soldier’s helmet. The first National Donut Day event was celebrated in Chicago, Illinois in 1938 in honor of The Salvation Army doughnut lassies’ service, and it has been celebrated annually since.
Visit sawausau.org for more detailed program information or call 715-845-4272.
