National Donut Day is on Friday June 3, but for Ollie, the duckbassador in the logo of Duck Donuts, every day is a great day to celebrate donuts. How did Ollie become the mascot for a donut company? Read on to meet Ollie, learn about his origin story, and find out what it means to be part of “Quack Gives Back.”
The Duck Donuts Story
Duck Donuts was founded by Russ DiGilio in Duck, North Carolina. The Outer Banks of North Carolina was a favorite vacation spot for DiGilio and his family, but for as much as there was to see and do there were no places to get donuts.
Where there’s a will for warm and fresh donuts, there’s a way! Before long, DiGilio was working on recipes and spending months on research and collaboration before opening the first Duck Donuts storefront in 2007. Duck Donuts, a welcoming spot where one and all could enjoy delicious donuts with a great selection of coffees, became a hit. Since 2007, Duck Donuts has expanded to hundreds of franchise locations and is one of the fastest-growing donut shops in the United States: serving up donuts, delivering smiles, and sprinkling happiness.
Meet Ollie!
Ollie was born in Duck, North Carolina right alongside the Duck Donuts business. This duckbassador is a nod to the company’s beach town roots.
Ollie, dressed in a classic swimsuit and visor, has an easygoing demeanor. He even speaks his very own language — Ducklish! — for all the fanaDUCKS that are ecstaDUCK about their authenDUCK proDUCKts. If Ducklish sounds like nothing else, it’s because the donuts at Duck Donuts taste like nothing else.
Does Ollie have a favorite donut? Good question! Keen viewers of the company’s logo and packaging may notice that Ollie is pictured with his favorite donut: a freshly made vanilla cake donut with chocolate icing and rainbow sprinkles. Ollie loves visitors to any of the Duck Donuts locations and encourages them to tag him using the hashtag #OllieLovesDonuts in their pictures.
Quack Gives Back
Each September, Duck Donuts partners with Gabe’s Chemo Duck Program, a non-profit organization that provides education, comfort, and hope through stuffed ducks, medical play, and therapeutic tools. Through the sponsorship, children undergoing treatment for cancer may have access to their own Chemo Duck. Dressed in blue hospital scrubs with a chemotherapy port, this stuffed yellow duck helps kids learn what to expect during treatment and have a friend to share the experience.
Duck Donuts became a sponsor with Gabe’s Chemo Duck Program in 2017. Since then, Duck Donuts has raised more than $210,000 across all locations during its annual campaign supporting Gabe’s Chemo Duck Program. More than 3,500 Chemo Duck programs have been provided to children undergoing cancer treatment in the communities served by Duck Donuts and the company looks forward to continuing its partnership with Gabe’s Chemo Duck Program.
Will Duck’s Donuts Be Part of National Donut Day?
Absolutely! Customers visiting a Duck Donuts location on Friday June 3, 2022 will receive a free cinnamon sugar donut that day in celebration of the company — and Ollie’s! — favorite holiday.
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