Nancy's Notes

Even if you did not watch the Inauguration Day activities, you have probably seen a picture of Bernie Sanders, socially distanced from everyone and wearing a blue disposable mask. For his cold-weather comfort, Bernie struck a matter-of-fact pose wearing a brownish/green parka. The Vermont senator completed the ensemble with a pair of brown mittens, handmade by a Vermont second-grade teacher. (Get that teacher to make you a matching beret, Bernie!)

From Michelle Obama in Sergio Hudson raspberry, to Jennifer Lopez head-to-toe in white Chanel, it was hard to pinpoint which style icon shined the brightest that morning of Inauguration Day 2021. However, even before the inauguration proceedings were finished, the “peoples choice award” was clear: the snapshot of Bernie Sanders and his woven mittens took the world by storm and became a meme sensation.

If you didn’t know about the word “meme” before the inauguration, you certainly would learn it quickly as Bernie’s picture spread across social media in the weirdest places. Plucked right out of his original spot with other senators and government dignitaries, Bernie soon was shown in a painting of “happy trees and mountains” by Bob Ross; under the covers and in bed with Sophia of The Golden Girls; fashioned with vegetables on a salad plate; and my favorite, on a bench with our favorite #15, Patrick Mahomes. And, as you can see by the picture, with Susan’s photo magic, I got to have a short visit with Bernie, too! He’s been a busy man!

But aside from the memes, the story of Bernie gets even more fun. The now-famous mittens, made by Jen Ellis, a teacher from Essex Junction, Vermont, are made from a repurposed wool sweater and lined with fleece from recycled plastic bottles. As popular as those mittens became, Ms. Ellis may need to retire from teaching and go into mitten-making! In less than five days after the inauguration, those mittens had helped raise $1.8 million for charitable organizations in Sanders’ home state of Vermont. The money came rolling in from the sale of merchandise with the image of Sanders sitting on the folding chair, huddling alone at the inauguration.

According to Sanders’ website, proceeds from the sales of two t-shirt designs are going to local Vermont charities, such as “Feeding Chittenden,” which operates Vermont’s largest emergency food pantry. Another nonprofit slated to benefit from a Sanders donation is the Chill Foundation, a youth development group that offers opportunities to youth in difficult circumstances, along with other Vermont community action groups. And proceeds from a pullover sweater will be donated to Meals on Wheels Vermont.

And then there is the crocheted Bernie Sanders doll, made by Tobey King, which also “went viral” on the internet. King, from Corpus Christi, Texas, patterned the 9-inch doll from a previous doll she made of Sanders when he ran for president in 2020. This time, she added the now-famous brown and white knit mittens along with a blue felt face mask. After spending more than seven hours creating the doll, King put it up for sale on eBay with a promise that 100% of the profits would go to Meals on Wheels. Starting bid for the handmade doll was 99 cents, but when the sale closed three days later, there were 167 bids, with the winning bid at $20,300. An eBay spokesperson made a statement that the company was “inspired” by King’s decision to donate the proceeds, and that eBay would match the winning bid to “help support even more people in need.” That means the total raised from the sale of the Bernie doll was more than $40,000!

Senator Sanders has long been one of Meals on Wheels’ biggest advocates, and, amid the pandemic, the demand for the home-delivered meals has skyrocketed as more vulnerable older adults are homebound and in need of this vital lifeline.

Always in Senator-mode, Bernie thanked everyone for their response: “Jane and I were amazed by all the creativity shown by so many people over the last week (after the inauguration), 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 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