Thelife- Sen.
Bernie Sanders is using hisinauguration meme to raise money for charity. - A $45 sweatshirt featuring the viral photo is available to purchase on his website.
- All the proceeds will be donated to Meals on Wheels Vermont.
Sen. Bernie Sanders turned his inauguration meme into a charitable opportunity.
On Wednesday, the Vermont senator was photographed sitting in a chair wearing a Burton parka, hand-knit mittens, and a surgical blue mask. The image went viral as people edited Sanders into everything from iconic New York locations to scenes from popular movies. A student at New York University even created a website so people could place the photo anywhere in the world.
Read more: The grumpy Bernie Sanders meme is the best one to come out of the inauguration
A crewneck featuring the image was then made available to purchase on Sanders' website for $45. After initially selling out, the sweatshirt was back in stock on Friday afternoon in sizes small through 2XL. A representative for Sanders did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on how much stock was left.
The website also said that because of overwhelming demand, the sweatshirts would arrive in three to six weeks.
According to the product description, 100% of the proceeds will go toward Meals on Wheels Vermont.
Sanders defended his inauguration style choice during an appearance on NBC's "Late Night with Seth Meyers."
"I was just sitting there trying to keep warm, trying to pay attention to what was going on," Sanders said.
The senator also spoke about what the response had been like for the Vermont teacher who gifted him the sustainably made mittens over two years ago.
"What was really nice, Seth, is that the woman who made the mittens lives in Essex Junction, Vermont," Sanders said. "She is a schoolteacher and a very, very nice person, and she has been somewhat overwhelmed by the kind of attention that is being shown to her mittens."
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- Kamala Harris and Jill Biden both sent subtle messages with their outfit choices on the eve of the inauguration
- Kamala Harris' great-nieces wore custom coats designed to look like one the vice president had as a young girl