About those woolly mittens US Senator Bernie Sanders wore to the President’s inauguration, creating endless quirky memes on social media? They have contributed to raising $ 1.8 million for charities in Sanders’ home state of Vermont over the past five days, the independent senator announced Wednesday.
The amount comes from the sale of merchandise with the image of January 20 of him sitting with his arms and legs crossed, dressed in his brown parka and recycled wool mittens.
Sanders posted the first of the so-called ‘Chairman Sanders’ merchandise, including T-shirts, sweatshirts and stickers, on his website on Thursday evening and the first run sold out in less than 30 minutes, he said. More merchandise was added over the weekend and sold out on Monday morning, he said.
“Jane and I were amazed at all the creativity so many people have displayed over the past week, and we are pleased to be able to use my internet fame to help Vermonters in need,” Sanders said in a written statement. “But even this amount is no substitute for action by Congress, and I will do everything I can in Washington to ensure that working people in Vermont and across the country get the help they need in the midst of the worst crisis that has happened. we need. ” have been dealing since the Great Depression. ”
The Sanders mittens are made by Jen Ellis, a Vermont elementary school teacher who has an afterthought to make mittens from recycled wool. His inauguration look, also with the winter jacket created by Burton Snowboards, led to countless memes from the photo taken by Agence France-Presse: the former presidential candidate could be found on social media timelines taking place on the subway, moon and the couch with the cast of “Friends”, among other creative locations.
Ellis said on social media last weekend that Sanders called to tell her that “the mitten frenzy” had raised an enormous amount of money for charities in Vermont, although she was not yet authorized to disclose the amount.
“But it’s BIG and it’s great! Thank you!! Generosity brings joy, ”she tweeted.
She also said she made three more pairs of mittens and donated them to Passion 4 Paws Vermont, Outright Vermont, for fundraising, and would auction a pair on eBay for her daughter’s college fund.
The groups that will benefit from the proceeds from the ‘Chairman Sanders’ items include regional aging agencies to fund Meals on Wheels in Vermont, community action agencies in Vermont, Feeding Chittenden, Vermont Parent Child Network, The Chill Foundation, senior centers in Vermont. Vermont and Bistate Primary Care for improvements in dental care in the state, the Sanders office said.
Sander’s clothing has sparked other charity endeavors as well. A crocheted doll of Sanders in his robe was put up for auction online, and Burton Snowboards donated 50 coats on behalf of Sanders to the Burlington Department for Children and Families, his office said.
Getty Images has confirmed it will donate its proceeds as part of the licensing agreement to post the photo on the merchandise to Meals on Wheels of America.