The photo of the Vermont Senator, in a winter coat and mittens at the presidential inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on Wednesday went viral and became an instant meme.
As seen on the Bernie campaign store, the Chairman Sanders Crewneck is emblazoned with the now-ubiquitous photo of Sanders in mittens and a Burton jacket in a clever move of meme-based philanthropy.
The Meals on Wheels programme, delivers food to those whose circumstances make it difficult for them to buy or make meals on their own.
The demand for such services has been on the rise during the Covid-19 outbreak.
Given the demand, as noted in the product description, buyers shouldn’t expect to receive the sweatshirt until up to six weeks after placing an order.
The mittens, the clear co-star of the meme, were made by Essex Junction area teacher Jen Ellis. Hours after the meme started its ascension on Wednesday, Ellis announced she had "no more mittens for sale."
Sanders on Thursday gave Ellis a shout-out and added he did not expect the photo to go viral.
"I was just sitting there, trying to keep warm, trying to pay attention to what's going on," he said.
“I made Bernie’s mittens as a gift a couple years ago. They are made from repurposed wool sweaters and lined with fleece (made from recycled plastic bottles),” she said during an interview.
An image of Sanders sitting arms and legs crossed, inspired netizens to place him in both familiar and unlikely settings.
