National Donut Day: Where to get freebies to celebrate

In the immortal words of Homer Simpson... “MMMM Doughnuts.”

The first Friday in June marks the unofficial holiday National Donut Day.

The celebration was started by The Salvation Army in 1938 to honor the women who traveled to France during World War I to deliver donuts and other snacks to soldiers. They were known as Donut Lassies and Donut Girls, the organization said in a press release.

At participating Giant Eagle stores, you can get a dozen of donuts for $6.

Additionally, Pittsburgh McDonald’s Owner Operators, in partnership with Krispy Kreme, will provide donuts and coffee to veterans and staff at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System.

By the way, both spellings - doughnut and donut - are technically correct according to Grammarly. Doughnut is the older version, and is used by The Associated Press, while donut is the newer, Americanized word and will be seen as part of business names and their products.

What started out as a day to honor the job done more than 85 years ago has turned into a day for freebies and deals to celebrate the doughnut.

Here are the deals you can find on June 6. As always, make sure your local locations are participating.

• Duck Donuts: Free cinnamon sugar doughnuts, no purchase necessary. A half dozen cinnamon sugar doughnuts for $6.
• Dunkin’: Free classic doughnut with any beverage purchase.
• Honey Dew Donuts: Free doughnut with medium drink purchase.
• Krispy Kreme: One free doughnut to all customers, no purchase necessary. Plus, you can get a dozen Original Glazed for $2 with the purchase of a dozen doughnuts at the regular price. Rewards members can get a dozen Original Glazed donuts for $9.99 from now until June 20.
• 7-Eleven: Rewards members can get a classic glazed doughnut at 7-Eleven, Speedway and Stripes locations for 50 cents on June 6. After June 6, a glazed doughnut will cost $1 for members through June 24.
• Sheetz: Free flavored doughnut with fountain drink, coffee or bottled drink purchase through June 10. Add promotion from OFFERZ tab on the Sheetz app.
• Shipley Do-Nuts: Free glazed doughnut with any purchase. On June 13, all dozen doughnut orders will become a baker’s dozen or a free glazed doughnut with any purchase. June 20 and June 27 will also be free doughnut days with any purchase.
• Tim Hortons: Rewards members can get a free doughnut with a drink purchase through June 8 when ordering through the app.
• Voodoo Doughnuts: Free doughnut with purchase of Pink Raised Glazed Dozen for $10.

List compiled from USA Today, ABC News, Delish and BuzzFeed.

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