National Doughnut Day, celebrated on the first Friday of June, harkens back to the days during World War I when Salvation Army volunteers would bring doughnuts – along with spiritual aid and comfort – to American soldiers stationed in trenches throughout France. These days, it is still the mission of The Salvation Army of provide comfort and spiritual aid to those in need, and what better way to do this than by celebrating National Doughnut Day. This year, the local Salvation Army will hold its third annual Doughnut Eating Contest. Four teams will compete to eat the most donuts in ten minutes. This year’s teams will be the Michigan City Police Department, the Michigan City Fire Department, Michigan City Area Schools and, of course, a team representing The Salvation Army. Here’s how it works: Each team will consist of three competitors. The team that eats the most doughnuts in 10 minutes will be crowned the winner. Funds are raised in the way of raffle tickets sold by the teams at $5 each. After the event, raffle tickets will be drawn with the following prizes awarded:
One GOLD winner will be drawn from the raffle tickets sold by the winning team
One SILVER winner will be drawn from a pool of all raffle tickets sold
Four BRONZE winners will be drawn – one from each team’s pool of tickets sold
Proceeds raised through this event will help support The Salvation Army general fund, helping provide services such as:
–The Overnight Men’s Homeless Shelter – hosted at The Salvation Army from April through October.
–A diaper bank program that distributes more than 60,000 diapers every year.
–The Salvation Army food pantry, the largest in La Porte County, serving approximately 300 families every month.
–NIPSCO assistance, paying more than $40,000 in utility assistance every year.
–A summer youth camp that allows local kids to attend a week-long camp at Little Pine Island for free.