News release
The Salvation Army Santa Clarita Valley Corps is scheduled June 7 to host its inaugural Donut Day event, including a doughnut eating contest.
This new event takes place on National Doughnut Day, Friday, June 7, at 3:30 p.m. at The Cube (27745 Smyth Drive), with a ticketed VIP reception following at 5 p.m.
At the reception, a special award will be presented to long-time Salvation Army board member and former Santa Clarita Councilman Bob Kellar.
The doughnut eating contest will take place in front of The Cube and will be shown live on the jumbo TV. It is free to come cheer on the competitors, or you can buy raffle tickets to vote for your favorite for a chance to win prizes. Tickets to the VIP reception are $65 and include light bites and a drink ticket.
All funds raised from this inaugural event will go right back to the Santa Clarita community for local services provided by the Salvation Army. This includes a food pantry, homeless support services, casework, counseling and addiction services.
“We are thrilled to invite the community to come cheer on the doughnut-eating competitors,” Salvation Army SCV Capt. Rafael Viana said in a news release. “There will be doughnut decorating for kids and of course, doughnuts to eat.”
This new celebration pays tribute to the Salvation Army’s doughnut heritage, which tracks all the way back to World War I when the Donut Lassies, who were Salvation Army volunteers, baked and delivered doughnuts to soldiers on the front lines.
Both the presence of these courageous women and the doughnuts that tasted of home brought a light of hope and happiness to the battlefield — a much-needed morale boost for languishing soldiers, the release said. The Donut Lassies are also credited with popularizing the doughnut in the United States after the troops, commonly known as “doughboys,” came back from fighting in Europe.
Tickets are now on sale for the VIP reception and sponsorships are still available. For more information, visit, visit salarmy.us/santaclaritadonutday, or call or email Viana at 661-210-1037 or [email protected].
