National donut day

It is said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. I’m sure we can all think of organizations and groups, and even individuals that have done terrible things with the best of intentions. On the other hand, I’m not sure where the road paved with donuts goes, but it isn’t hell.

Every year in the United States we have National Donut Day on the First Friday in June (June 5, this year). Often this is celebrated by eating an (often free) donut, but the origin of donut day goes back to the Great Depression. An army doctor took donuts to give to his patients and one of them suggested that they get together and give a donut to everyone in need. Then starting in 1938 the Salvation Army, in honor of their Donut Dollies in World War I, started Donut Day.

The Salvation Army had gone to Europe to provide a touch of home to the American soldiers fighting there. They set up “huts” and provided stationary and coffee to the soldiers. They didn’t have facilities to provide much in the way of food, but they could do donuts, so many servicemen found themselves eating donuts. Stories say that they actually fried them in the helmets used by the U.S. Forces of that day. That’s probably not true, and the theory that that’s where the term “doughboy” came from is probably also not true, but it sounds like a good legend.

I have no idea if there’s anywhere close by giving free donuts on Donut Day, but it probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to stop by and check out the local donut scene anyway.

I know that at least one of our local donut shops does a lot to support our community: Carlos’ Donuts supplied pastries for at least one show that Tehachapi Community Theatre put on.

There are other places we can find donuts in town and we should support them all.

Now donuts are certainly unable to solve the world’s problems, but a donut now and then (in moderation, people) certainly does make the world a better place. Maybe we can go out and get some donuts and share them; an act of fried dough kindness. Maybe we can find out where the road paved with donuts really does go. I think I’ll like it.

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