Bernie Sanders’ mittens don’t just make for a good internet meme. They also helped raise nearly $2 million for charity.
The senator from Vermont and former two-time Democratic presidential candidate unintentionally created an internet sensation after last week’s inauguration. A photograph of Sanders in mittens and a parka went viral, and the rest is internet history.
But it turns out that the memes are not all just fun and games. They also helped raise serious cash for charity. According to the Associated Press, Sanders raised $1.8 million for charities in his home state of Vermont.
FULL TEXT: President Joe Biden’s Inaugural Address
“Jane and I were amazed by all the creativity shown by so many people over the last week, and we’re glad we can use my internet fame to help Vermonters in need,” Sanders said in a statement.
“But even this amount of money is no substitute for action by Congress, and I will be doing everything I can in Washington to make sure working people in Vermont and across the country get the relief they need in the middle of the worst crisis we’ve faced since the Great Depression,” Sanders added.
