BRYAN, Texas — Celebrate the sweetest holiday of the year by giving back.
Shipley Do-nuts has been giving out one free glazed donut to each customer since 6 am this morning. This donut chain has been partnering with the Salvation Army for more than a decade on this day to raise funds for this non-profit.
“Any tips we receive we donate to Salvation Army. Just through this weekend we are specifically asking and reaching out to the community for donations for Salvation Army for their COVID fund. We had the red kettles at all four locations. We have green canisters where we’re asking people for their donations and all that goes straight to them to help our people here in the community," said Shipley Do-Nuts Human Resources Shelly Archer.
To start the weekend off, Shipley gave the Salvation Army a three thousand dollar check this morning.
“Salvation Army does so much for our community. All of the money that you donate stays here local, in fact during this time they have a special COVID fund to help people through these hard times," said Archer.
For the Salvation Army, this day was actually created by them in 1938 to honor those who were bringing donuts to the troops in World War I.
“The Salvation Army sent our troops to the frontlines of the first world war, and we brought a taste of home with us. We served the troops and it is estimated that we served over 1 million donuts to the American troops during the first world war, so much so that the troops were coming back home with the new nick name called Dough Boys," said Salvation Army Commanding Officer Paul Ryerson.
The proceeds donated this weekend at Shipley will help the Salvation Army’s COVID-19 relief fund, which goes back to serving the community.
“We have seen unprecedented requests of help particularly starting in April. Just in that one single month of April, we have assisted families in rent and utilities assistance. Equal to that one month is what we would do in a given year," said Ryerson.
Shipley’s will be collecting donations all weekend at all their locations in town.
To learn more about how you can directly donate to the Salvation Army’s COVID-19 relief fund, visit their website HERE.
