Bernie Sanders brings the meme to your wardrobe 1:17
(CNN) -
Senator Bernie Sanders has raised $ 1.8 million for charity through the sale of merchandise inspired by the viral photo of him and his gloves on the day of President Joe Biden's inauguration.
The Vermont senator's team began selling sweatshirts and T-shirts with the photo, which inspired countless memes, in his tent last Thursday.
The $ 45 black crew neck sweatshirt appears to be as popular as the meme: The first run of the product sold out in less than 30 minutes Thursday night, according to a press release from Sanders' office.
"More items were added over the weekend and sold out on Monday morning," the press release said.
All money raised will be distributed to various charities in his home state of Vermont, according to the statement.
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"Jane and I were in awe of all the creativity shown by so many people over the past week, and we are excited to be able to use my internet fame to help Vermonters in need," Sanders said in the statement.
But even this amount of money is not a substitute for congressional action, and I will do everything I can in Washington to make sure that workers in Vermont and across the country get the relief they need amid the worst crisis we have faced since the great Depression".
These are the hoodies that the Bernie Sanders campaign sells.
The funds collected by Sanders will support various charitable organizations
The charities Sanders chose to benefit from the merchandise sales include: Area Agencies for Seniors to fund Meals on Wheels in Vermont, Community Action Agencies of Vermont, Feeding Chittenden, Vermont Parent Child Network, The Chill Foundation, Centers for Seniors in Vermont through Area Agencies and Bistate Primary Care for improvements in dental care in Vermont.
Age Well, the largest provider of Meals on Wheels in Vermont, said on Twitter that it is “AMAZED by the support of our Meals on Wheels program” through the sales of sweatshirts.
We are BLOWN AWAY by the support for our Meals on Wheels program by @SenSanders and so many folks local and across the country.
The sweatshirt may be sold out but you can still support Meals on Wheels: https://t.co/W8uaJXcekh https://t.co/1nEbwsAHOf
- Age Well (@AgeWellVT) January 23, 2021
"On behalf of all the area agencies and our partners in the community who help us provide food services, this is a tremendous gift and we couldn't be more grateful," Jane Catton, executive director of Age Well, told WCAX, CNN affiliate.
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Sanders isn't the only one using the viral moment as an opportunity to raise money for charities.
As part of the license agreement to put the famous photo on T-shirts, hoodies and stickers, Getty Images will donate its proceeds from the license to Meals on Wheels America, according to the press release.
Burton Snowboards, which makes the coat Sanders wore on inauguration day, donated 50 jackets to the Burlington Department of Children and Families on behalf of the senator.
Inspired by donations from Sanders, a Texas woman, Tobey King, auctioned a handmade Sanders doll and raised more than $ 40,000 for Meals of Wheels America.
"Senator Sanders has long been one of the biggest advocates for Meals on Wheels," Jenny Young, vice president of communications for Meals on Wheels America, told CNN before the auction ended, "and it's amazing to see how his unexpected moment in the limelight is inspiring others to join the fight to address hunger and older people's isolation as well.
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