Dunkin Donuts is all the rage this 73rd annual National Donut Day. The popular donut chain is in competition with Krispy Kreme as they hand out a free donut with every beverage purchase on Friday, June 3, 2011.c Held the first Friday of every June, the sweet holiday stems from a bitter time. It was 1938, the height of the Great Depression, when a Chicago branch of the Salvation Army started a donut fundraiser.cc 

The purpose of the fundraiser was to honor Salvation Army women, known as "Lassies," who made donuts for soldiers on the front lines of battle to boost morale. Joining in on the fun, The Salvation Army has posted the original recipe used on their website. 

Today, donut makers are tapping into the power of social media to promote the event. Like other chains, Dunkin Donuts is utilizing its Facebook and Twitter accounts to spread the word. Among their 83,000 Twitter followers and 3.5 million Facebook fans, the promotion has helped make a formerly-obscure American tradition a new hit holiday.