Sweet benefit for appeal as world bites into dough-licious day
Sweet benefit for appeal as world bites into dough-licious day
4 June 2021
Sweet spot: South Australia/Northern Territory Public Relations Secretary Major Mark Foyle with one of the ‘Hope’ doughnuts made especially to raise money for the Red Shield Appeal.
For more than 80 years, as the first Friday in June has come and gone, a ‘hole’ lot of sweet celebrating has gone on.
Created by The Salvation Army in 1938, National Doughnut Day (sometimes spelt ‘Donut’) has become an international sensation, but its history goes back to 1917 when ‘Doughnut Lassies’ stationed in France during World War One served the soldiers with “a taste of home”.
Actually, it’s the hole that is the centre of attention because there isn’t one – it’s International Doughnut Day.
The Salvation Army is credited with having started the phenomenon during World War One, but its popularity as an international sensation has grown with the number of flavours the sweet treat comes in.
For many, mention doughnuts and the company Krispy Kreme comes to mind. For years, before the brand spread across Australia, Krispy Kreme doughnuts were only available at Sydney airport, and it was a tradition that no one who went through the airport would leave without a box of the deep-fried dough snacks.
The Army and Krispy Kreme have a partnership in South Australia, where the company is privately owned.
South Australia/Northern Territory Public Relations Secretary Major Mark Foyle said Krispy Kreme in South Australia was a private company while, in the rest of the country, it was owned by the parent company.
In the shadow of this year’s Doughnut Day was the Red Shield Appeal when the Krispy Kreme/Salvation Army partnership came to the fore. In support of this year’s appeal, Krispy Kreme committed to making a ‘dough-nation’ of $1 from the sale of every one of its ‘Hope’ doughnuts sold in Adelaide and Mount Gambier. Mark said the campaign was to run until 22 June or, as the buzz-phrase in retail parlance goes, while stocks last.
Mark, who was at the coalface at the weekend at Stirling Shopping Centre and Westfield West Lakes collecting for the Red Shield Appeal, spent much of his time ensuring Krispy Kreme doughnuts were front and centre by handing out vouchers for doughnuts as a thank-you for a donation. He said the Army’s partnership with Krispy Kreme in South Australia was in its fourth year. “They sell the special ‘Hope’ doughnut, which is made just for us,” Mark said.
As part of International Doughnut Day in Adelaide’s Rundle Mall, the Army hosts its annual Red Shield Appeal Krispy Kreme Doughnut Decorating Competition.
Mark said the relationship between the Army and doughnuts dated back to World War One: “The Salvation Army lassies served up doughnuts daily to the soldiers. Having minimal cooking supplies but wanting to provide soldiers with home cooking, The Salvation Army came up with the idea of cooking doughnuts.
The red doughnuts served at North East Salvos on Red Shield Sunday.
“Soldiers lined up in the rain, and subsequently word went around about the delicious doughnuts and The Salvation Army lassies, who were dubbed the ‘doughnut girls’.
“The doughnut thus became a great symbol of The Salvation Army for not only easing the hardships of the frontline-fighting men but also for more recently their services of bringing hope to the homeless, the disadvantaged, and people in need,” Mark said.
He said that after having not been able to do the challenge in 2020, the 2021 Doughnut Decorating challenge was expected to be as successful as the previous challenges, thanks to local media personalities, sporting stars, celebrities and other iconic South Australians.
Also in Adelaide, Corps Officer Captain Aaron Stobie, from the North East Salvos in the city’s northern suburbs, said Paradise Primary School – where the corps holds its worship services each Sunday – had ordered doughnuts with red icing as a fundraiser for the Army’s Red Day on Friday 21 May: “They were so delish, [the corps] ordered some for Red Shield Sunday,” he said.
Across the country, except in Melbourne, where a spike in COVID-19 cases has caused a lockdown, Krispy Kreme has announced its stores collectively would give away 100,000 of its original glazed doughnuts variety – that’s 33 doughnuts a minute to cater to demand. Due to Melbourne’s lockdown, Krispy Kreme said it would delay National Doughnut Day celebrations in Victoria.
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