Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW)  – Get your donuts ready, because Friday is National Donut Day! What a better way to celebrate than a donut eating contest hosted by Springfield’s Salvation Army! Jeff Eddy, an Envoy for Salvation Army stopped by the WTAX Morning Newswatch to discuss this amazing event!

What’s the history behind this?

“The Salvation Army Donut Day history is fantastic. If you if you look into it, it was actually started in Chicago in 1938 and it was started for two purposes. One was to remember the efforts in World War I because you Google it, it’s a fantastic story. We sent young people over to the front lines that weren’t people that would necessarily be drafted. 
They would volunteer to go to the front lines, and they would actually make donuts for soldiers.” 

“In 1938, we did this as a remembrance of that, but also, if you know your history, it’s near the end of the great Depression. 
And Salvation Army, how do we feed these people? And so, it was actually started not only as a remembrance of World War I, but also as a fundraiser to buy food, to feed people. And so, we’ve been doing it for all this time this year in Springfield.”

Who can we expect to be a part of this contest?

“So far, we have signed up for sure with Springfield Police Department, the Springfield Fire Department, Sangamon County is on board. We have a lot of active-duty military and veterans coming. 
So, this year is going to be really successful.”

All proceeds raised go to the Salvation Army.