National Doughnut Day: Rhode Island Deals Today

They really do have a holiday for everything. Today is National Doughnut Day, and a few chains are offering sweet deals to kick off June.

In Rhode Island, of course, the most popular doughnut can be found at Dunkin'. A survey by offers.com surprised no one by confirming that was the Ocean State's top place to get a doughnut (as is the case for every New England state except for Maine.)

There are dozens more quality doughnut shops across the state. Crosby. Klemm's. Brothers. Heavnly. The list goes on and on. As we noted the other day, Allie's in North Kingstown is the regarded by some as the best around.

If you're looking for some great deals on doughnuts, here are some in Rhode Island and Massachusetts (for you commuters.) This isn't an exhaustive list, so check your local doughnut provider and let us know if we have any holes in our list. (Sorry.)

• Cumberland Farms convenience stores are offering customers a free doughnut with the purchase of a beverage from 5-10 a.m.
• Dunkin' Donuts is offering a free classic doughnut — including favorites like Boston Kreme, glazed and Strawberry Frosted with Sprinkles — with the purchase of any beverage.
• Edible Arrangements has started a new Edible Donut made from apples, chocolate and a variety of toppings. You can get a free one from June 2-6 any size or buy one get one free with a combo.
• Entenmann's, which sells its doughnuts in grocery stores nationwide, has a pretty fun contest going on. The classic pastry company is soliciting applications for the honorary position of Chief Donut Officer, which comes with a year's worth of doughnuts and a $5,000 cash award. Four runners up will receive $1,000 and a one-year supply of doughnuts.
• Honey Dew Donuts is offering a free S'More doughnut with the purchase of any medium or larger drink.
• Kane's is offering 15 doughnuts for the price of a dozen.
• Krispy Kreme is offering a free doughnut of the customer's choice
• Papa John's is also getting in on this: You can get a free order of warm Donut holes with any online purchase.
• Walmart is a huge purveyor of doughnuts. The nation's biggest retail chain plans to give away 1.2 million full-sized glazed doughnuts from its bakeries, while supplies last. Every Walmart in the country will participate in the giveaway

Classic glazed doughnuts are Americans' favorites, according to survey, which showed the lightly frosted doughnuts to be the top choice of 48 percent of respondents. Coming in a distant second were Boston cream doughnuts (17 percent), followed by jelly doughnuts (12 percent), doughnuts with sprinkles (7 percent), powdered doughnuts (6 percent) and twist doughnuts (6 percent).

Some Doughnut Day History

National Doughnut Day dates back to 1938, when The Salvation Army of Chicago created it to honor the "Doughnut Girls" who served doughnuts to soldiers in World War I. The unofficial holiday is celebrated every year on the first Friday in June.

Though the honorary salute to the "Doughnut Girls" wouldn't begin until years later, two Salvation Army volunteers — Ensign Margaret Sheldon and Adjutant Helen Purviance — came up with the idea of frying doughnuts in soldiers' helmets after they and about 250 others were deployed to France to provide spiritual and emotional support for U.S. soldiers.

"These tasty treats boosted morale and won the hearts of many soldiers," The Salvation Army's Metropolitan Division in Chicago said on its website.

Also known as the "Doughnut Lassies," these volunteers are credited with popularizing the doughnut in the United States when troops, who were known as "doughboys," returned home from the war. The tradition, which provided a link to home and family, continued in World War II.

Photo courtesy the Doughnut Parlor