Freebie Alert: Friday is National Donut Day

The first Friday of June just happens to be National Donut Day. That means you might just score a free donut at one of Northern Virginia's donut emporiums.

How did a hunk of fried dough with a hole in the middle get its own day?

National Donut Day has its roots in the trenches of World War I, when war-weary soldiers would take a break by stopping by a "hut" — a makeshift coffee shop — where "lassies" doled out coffee and donuts. In 1938, the Salvation Army in Chicago wanted to recognize those women's efforts and started National Donut Day, which falls on the first Friday in June each year.

Nowadays, National Donut Day efforts in some cities include fundraisers associated with the Salvation Army. Others simply recognize the doughy confection by handing out free donuts.

Where to Get Free Donuts

Dunkin' Donuts will be handing out free donuts, only if you purchase a beverage, according to its Web site. You can find a Dunkin' Donuts near you here. 

In Old Town, the Dunkin' Donuts shop is located at 1640 King St. and there's also a store in nearby Potomac Yard. There are two on Duke Street, 3050 Duke St., and 4653 Duke St. at Foxchase shopping center.

Krispy Kreme, which celebrated its 75th anniversary last year, is offering a sweet deal: All you have to do is show up, no purchase necessary, for a free donut of your choice (one per customer).

At the only Krispy Kreme in Northern Virginia, located at 6332 Richmond Highway just south of Alexandria, employees are ready to hand out free donuts on Friday.

The shop make 2,500 dozen donuts a day. On the weekends, production jumps to 4,000 dozen per day. The most popular donut at Krispy Kreme is the Original Glaze, also known as the "Hot Glaze." 

In any case the tradition continues Friday with area donut shops handing out free (or almost-free) donuts.

(Editor's note: Some of this story was originally published on Patch on National Donut Day last year, in 2012.)