Krispy Kreme wants to make graduation season a bit sweeter for 2021 grads.
The doughnut company just announced that it will be bringing back its free "Graduate Dozen" for high school and college seniors on May 13, and we expect that plenty of happy grads will be excited to take the store up on its offer.
Graduates simply need to show up to a participating Krispy Kreme shop wearing their “Class of 2021” graduation swag on that day, and they'll receive a free "Graduate Dozen" box of doughnuts while supplies last. The best part? There's no purchase necessary.
So, what's in the limited edition box? It's got several Krispy Kreme fan favorites, including Original Glazed, Chocolate Iced with Sprinkles and Strawberry Iced with Sprinkles.
It also has a few custom doughnuts like Cake Batter Filled, a tasty treat that's filled with Cake Batter Kreme and dipped in yellow icing; Chocolate Iced Kreme Filled, a doughnut that's filled with classic Kreme and dipped in chocolate icing; and Strawberry Iced Kreme Filled, which is filled with classic Kreme and dipped in strawberry icing.
Related
The company also put a spin on its Original Glazed doughnut and threw in a few Yellow Ice Original Glazed and White Iced Original Glazed treats. Smack dab in the middle of the dozen, four doughnuts spell "2021" for a nice festive touch.
Dave Skena, Krispy Kreme's chief marketing officer, said he hopes the free dozen will help bring some joy to graduates who had quite a unique experience during the pandemic.
“It’s been a tough year for this year's graduates, marked by virtual learning, canceled sports, limited school activities, altered or eliminated proms and non-traditional graduation ceremonies. But the class of 2021 persevered through it all” he said in a statement. “We admire them, we’re proud of them and we want to celebrate all of them by giving them a special Graduate Dozen completely free at their local Krispy Kreme.”
Non-grads can also get in on the fun and purchase the limited-edition dozen between May 10-16 at participating shops across the U.S. while supplies last.
The doughnut company has a history of spreading the sweet love and most recently offered free doughnuts to anyone who's gotten the COVID-19 vaccine. It seemed like a great idea, but not everyone appreciated the offer.
Some critics countered by saying that the offer excludes anyone who doesn't want to get the vaccine and others suggested that the promotion wasn't great for your health.
Over the holidays, Krispy Kreme also offered free doughnuts to delivery workers and mail carriers. Last summer, the store gave away doughnuts and coffee to teachers. Nurses got treated to freebies last year, and the company is known to have free doughnuts around the holidays, too.