The Salvation Army of Bradford will host their inaugural Donut Day 5K walk/run at 8:30 a.m. June 8, beginning and ending at R. E. McDowell Trail near the Kessel Athletic Complex in Bradford. Pre-registration for the 5K walk/run for adults is $30. There will also be a “Munchkin Fun Run” for kids. Pre-registration for children is $20.

This year’s Donut Day 5K marks the 86th anniversary of National Donut Day. The day is not only an excuse to enjoy a sweet treat, but also reminds us of the bravery of The Salvation Army’s “Donut Lassies” of World War I. These brave volunteers followed American soldiers to the front lines of France to boost morale of the fighting men.

The program began in 1917 when four women, all members of The Salvation Army, traveled to the trenches of France to offer soldiers the same programs that they offered back home, holding religious services, playing music on the Victrola, sewing and repairing uniforms, and serving coffee and sweet treats, like fudge.

Then, two of these women, Margaret Sheldon and Helen Purviance, had an idea. They collected excess rations of dough, used shell casings and wine bottles as makeshift rolling pins. They used a soldier’s helmet filled with lard to fry the sweet doughy rings, according to the Smithsonian Institute. The first donuts — a batch of 150 — were crudely made, without holes, but were well received by the thankful men.

Eventually, Purviance would create a special cutter to make the donuts their usual ring shape. She took an empty can of sweetened condensed milk and an empty can of shaving cream to the local blacksmith, where he was able to combine them to create a cutter.

The donuts became such a hit that the program expanded. Eventually, the “Donut Lassies” would total 250 women, who would serve fried donuts to thousands of soldiers throughout the war. In one day, a team of three women would make roughly 2,500 donuts, eight dozen cupcakes, 800 sheet cakes, 50 pies and 255 gallons of cocoa. Two women would cook and one girl would serve the food, according to a letter from Purviance.

This activity, of course, was all done while dodging bullets and bombs. The women regularly set up tents as close as they could get to the soldiers, and often were so close to the fighting that supplies had a difficult time reaching them, according to the Smithsonian.

Not only were the pastries delicious, but these interactions with the women provided a sense of comfort to the war-weary men of the trenches. This moment in history also cemented America’s love affair with donuts.

Now, more than 80 years later, The Salvation Army keeps the giving spirit of the Donut Lassies alive by continuing to provide essential services and programs to vulnerable communities across America.

Intrepid bakers can find a copy of the official Donut Lassies’ original recipe in today’s ’Round the Square.” But be warned, although the pastries this recipe produces are delicious, they are different from what we have come to expect from modern donut shops and bakeries.