National Donut Day: From front lines to family shops, hot glazed donuts remain the ultimate comfort food

CLEARWATER - The annual National Donut Day celebration is the first Friday of June; and as local donut shops bring communities together across the Tampa Bay Area to honor a sweet tradition, one shop owner tells us the story of how it was born.

History of the Holiday

The backstory:

It began as an act of kindness. 
The Salvation Army sent volunteers to the front lines in France during World War 1. Those representatives, mostly women, used makeshift field bases to create the dough and fry the sweet treats for thousands of United States soldiers.

"National Donut Day actually originated as a fundraiser for the Salvation Army," explained Heather Quinly, the manager of Shipley Donuts in Clearwater. "They did it originally in honor of their 'Donut Lassies' that had served fresh donuts to soldiers on the front lines of World War I."

Those soldiers became known as Doughboys, and the doughnuts were a morale booster.

"So in 1938, the Salvation Army started National Donut Day as a fundraiser for the Salvation Army," said Quinly. "And they continued it on yearly after that, and then it eventually picked up nationwide as a nationwide celebration of donuts."

"Donuts are a national comfort food for us. The United States donuts go back a long way in our history. It's always been a readily easy food for workers on their way in to work in the morning, and it's one of those things that people grow up with," said Quinly.

Are Shipley Donuts fresh daily?

What they're saying:

The staff comes in early to put together the culinary creations each morning.

"The whole production, everything from starting the mix of the dough all the way through proofing, frying, glazing, and icing—everything is done right here in-house," said Quinly. "They're probably one of the most delicious things I've ever tasted."

The finished products get moved through a glaze 'waterfall' to coat them with a delicious covering, but traditional iced and glazed donuts aren't their only offerings.

"We also do our assorted roll products. We have the cinnamon rolls, cinnamon twist, bear claws, and then our filled bars," shared Quinly. "And then our old-fashioned rolls, which is like a cinnamon roll, but they also have walnuts in them."

 

What you can do:

Shipley Donuts is located in Clearwater at 4000 Ulmerton Road. They are celebrating National Donut Day every Friday in June with special giveaways.

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