WESTMINSTER, Colo. — A Westminster couple has created a routine they rarely miss. For the pair, it's a way to give back to first responders and healthcare workers across the Front Range.
Every Tuesday and Friday, Chris and Barry Hubbard collect the day's leftover doughnuts from LaMar's Donuts and Coffee in Westminster.
"Doughnuts make everyone happy," Chris said from behind the store counter.
But the doughnuts aren't for them. One by one, the couple fills bins with doughnuts to deliver them to UCHealth Broomfield Hospital and area police departments.
"[LaMar's] gave us permission, so I started it, but it wasn't long before Barry came on board," Chris said. "We’ve been doing this together for now, I want to say at least a year and a half, two years now."
During the evening deliveries, the pair often wears doughnut-themed attire.
"We have fun with it," Barry said through laughter.
The couple usually arrives to LaMar's around 6 p.m. once the store is officially closed. The confections the pair collects would otherwise be thrown away.
Collecting the doughnuts and then delivering them often takes several hours each Tuesday and Friday.
"There's a lot of joy in bringing something to people that deserve to have someone acknowledge them for what them doing," Chris said.
The pair separates as they deliver doughnuts throughout Broomfield, Westminster and Arvada.
"Happy Friday! Double the happiness today!” Barry said as he walked through the emergency department of UCHealth's Broomfield Hospital.
Healthcare workers quickly formed a line this Friday to pick out a doughnut.
"It really impacts the whole facility and increases the morale," registered nurse Brenda Nelson said. “They’re not just doughnuts, they’re LaMar’s donuts. And two, they just kept coming. It never stopped, and it hasn't stopped."
The couple said their weekly deliveries are a way to thank first responders and healthcare workers for their efforts during the pandemic.
Over the past two years, the Hubbards said they've only missed one week's deliveries — when they had a mild bout of COVID-19.
"They don't get the appreciation that they did at the beginning of COVID, and really the attention and recognition they deserve," Barry said.
Barry and Chris are both cancer survivors. Their respective healthcare battles are a driving force behind their gratitude.
"It's nice to be able to give back," Barry said as tears welled.