About the woolen gloves worn by US Senator Bernie Sanders during the presidential inauguration, which unleashes endless quirky memes on social media? The independent senator announced on Wednesday that they had raised $ 1.8 million over the past five days for charities in Sanders’ home state of Vermont.
The amount comes from the sale of goods with the image on January 20 of him sitting with his arms and legs crossed, dressed in his brown parka and recycled wool gloves.
Sanders posted the first of the so-called “Chairman Sanders” products, including T-shirts, sweatshirts and stickers, on his website on Thursday night, and the first run sold out in less than 30 minutes, he said. More goods were added over the weekend and sold out by Monday morning, he said.
“Jane and I were amazed at all the creativity that so many people have shown over the past week, and we’re glad we can use my Internet fame to help Vermonters in need,” Sanders said in a written statement. ‘But even this amount of money is no substitute for the action of Congress, and I will do everything in Washington to ensure that working people in Vermont and across the country get the relief they need in the midst of the worst crisis. we ‘have faced since the Great Depression. ”
Sanders’ gloves were made by Jen Ellis, an elementary school teacher in Vermont, who has a subsidiary that makes gloves from recycled wool. His inaugural look, also with the winter jacket made by Burton Snowboards, has spawned countless memes from the photo taken by Agence France-Presse: The former presidential candidate can be found on social media timelines covering the metro, the moon and sit on the couch. with the cast of “Friends”, including creative venues.
Ellis said on social media this past weekend that Sanders called to tell her that “the middle madness” had raised a huge amount of money for Vermont charities, although she had not yet been 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 gloves and donated them for fundraising to Passion 4 Paws Vermont, Outright Vermont, and went to auction some on eBay for her daughter’s college fund.
The groups that benefit from the proceeds of the “Chairman Sanders” items include area agencies for aging to fund Meals on Wheels throughout Vermont, Vermont Community Actions, Feeding Chittenden, Vermont Parent Child Network, The Chill Foundation, senior centers in Vermont and Bistate Primary Care for dental care improvements in the state, Sanders’ office said.
Sander’s dress also sparked other charitable work. A crocheted doll Sanders in his guise was auctioned online and Burton Snowboards donated 50 jackets to the Burlington Department for Children and Families in Sanders’ name, his office said.
Getty Images has confirmed that it will donate its proceeds as part of the license agreement to place the photo on the merchandise to Meals on Wheels of America.