A tradition since 1938, National Donut Day was created by The Salvation Army in Chicago as a way to honor their members who served donuts to soldiers during World War I. The earliest of these donuts were made using helmets as makeshift bowls, but nevertheless were a huge hit. In fact, the tasty treats were so loved that they were served again in WW II and the Vietnam War.
"I think it's really amazing," said Panthers Chief Operating Officer Sean McCaffrey, a West Point graduate in 2004 who served 5 1/2 years as an infantry officer. "To do it on June 7, with June 6 yesterday being D-Day, it was even more amazing to have a lot of veterans, including World War II veterans, here. I really think there's a lot of shared values and a shared mission between the veteran community and what they did overseas and what The Salvation Army does here."
One of the primary pillars of the organization ever since owner Vincent Viola, who graduated from West Point in 1977, purchased the team in 2013, the "Heroes Among Us" program has honored over 200 veterans since its inception. At each and every one of the Panthers' 41 home games throughout the season, a serviceman or women is honored prior and during the contest.
Each of these heroes is also given a video tribute, which always leads to a wave of cheers.
"To honor a veteran or active-duty servicemember at each home game, it's really an honor to be a part of," said Panthers Community Relations Coordinator Matt Smith. "It's shown, by the reaction from fans, that it not only means a lot to the organization, but also to the fans and the community as well. They're often overwhelmed by the generosity and thanks they receive."
In addition to celebrating "National Donut Day," The Salvation Army also marked the occasion by unveiling four new Panthers-branded emergency response vehicles to aid in local disaster recovery. These mobile feeding units have the capability to serve more than 2,000 meals per day each and were already used to deliver 750,000 meals after Hurricane Michael in October.
The Salvation Army was able to purchase these vehicles thanks to a $250,000 donation from the Panthers -- one of four charitable organizations that received a portion of a $1 million hurricane-relief pledge made by ownership during the long recovery efforts after Hurricane Irma in 2017.
"That was amazing," Salvation Army Florida Divisional Emergency Disaster Services Director Steven Hartsook said. "The ability to utilize that generous donation and equip ourselves with some new equipment, it means the world to us. These are expensive vehicles. That generosity is really helping us to build our capacity and be ready for the next disaster that may occur in this community."
