Shipley’s donates dollars from donut day

Published 9:10 am Friday, June 5, 2015

Shipley Donuts owner Becky Yelverton serves a customer Thursday morning at the Halls Ferry donut shop. (Justin Sellers/The Vicksburg Post)

Shipley Donuts owner Becky Yelverton serves a customer Thursday morning at the Halls Ferry donut shop. (Justin Sellers/The Vicksburg Post)

What makes a donut so delicious? Is it the sweet glazed frosting that goes on top of each product? Is it the soft dough that the foundation of each donut is made of?

“It’s a comfort food,” Becky Yelverton, owner of Shipley’s Donuts in Vicksburg said with a laugh. “Sugar just seems to make you feel good.”

Lots of people around Vicksburg and Warren County recognize Shipley’s donuts as the best donut in town.

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On National Donut Day, Shipley’s is sure to be flooded with customers, as each customer will get one free glazed donut with every purchase they make.

“We’re busy on Friday’s as it is and now having National Donut Day, it’s making me nervous,” Yelverton said.

The daily process of making donuts starts early as workers get in around 4 a.m. to start cutting the dough. Yelverton comes in around 6 a.m.  to get her day started.

Shipley Donuts owner Becky Yelverton serves a customer Thursday morning at the Halls Ferry donut shop. (Justin Sellers/The Vicksburg Post)

Shipley Donuts owner Becky Yelverton serves a customer Thursday morning at the Halls Ferry donut shop. (Justin Sellers/The Vicksburg Post)

Customers flocked to Shipley’s Thursday morning as a school bus filled with children packed the store and cars lined up at the drive-thru to get their favorite donut in town.

“They’re the best donuts I’ve had,” Hazel Suluai, a native of Louisiana said. “No matter where I go in the mornings, I always look for Shipley’s.”

Carl Warnock, a native of Vicksburg, has been coming to Shipley’s since the 1960’s. Warnock sits at the same table every day near the front counter and orders a plain donut and a cup of coffee every morning.

“I like the way they are made and how they taste,” Warnock said. “I enjoy it every day that I come.”

National Donut Day started during The Great Depression as a way to raise funds and awareness to The Salvation Army’s social services programs.

The day commemorates “donut lassies”, which were female Salvation Army volunteers who provided clothes mending, home-cooked meals and donuts to the soldiers on the front lines.

The first Friday of June is dedicated to donuts as a result of The Salvation Army’s work.

A portion of the proceeds at Shipley’s goes to The Salvation Army and it’s something that Shipley’s looked forward this year.

“It’s a great organization and I don’t mind giving it to them one bit,” Yelverton said.

“This is my first time doing it on National Donut Day and I’m looking forward to it.”

On National Donut Day, the same routine will be applied as if it were any other day, but Yelverton will be there bright and early.

“Well lets just say I’m off on Fridays and I’ll be working tomorrow,” Yelverton said.

“We’re extremely busy on Friday and didn’t know if we could keep up and we don’t know if we can keep up now.”

Shipley’s has three locations in Vicksburg, 1405 Clay St., 3424 Halls Ferry Rd. and on U.S. 61 North