Power pair: The impact of Bernie's mittens
A view of River Road in Woodstock, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
Who would have thought a pair of mittens would raise money for charity, help businesses and put smiles on millions of faces?
Before the Jan. 20 presidential inauguration, it would have seemed a bit far-fetched, but Sen. Bernie Sanders' mittens have done all those things. The now-famous wool mittens made from recycled sweaters rode the wave of meme stardom straight into the economy, and they're having an impact at a very tough time for nonprofits and businesses.
Most recently, Jen Ellis, the teacher from Essex Junction, Vermont, who made the mittens Sanders wore Jan. 20, partnered with the Vermont Teddy Bear Company to create a new mitten line, according to NBC 10 Boston. Some of the proceeds are going to Make-A-Wish Vermont.
"I can't be more thrilled, because I personally can't make 18,000 pairs of mittens," Ellis told NBC 10, giving a rough estimate of how many inquiries she received.
Ellis has also partnered with Darn Tough Vermont to design wool socks that mimic the mittens — fittingly called JENerosity socks. They sold out in 24 hours, and 100% of those proceeds went to the Vermont Food Bank, as the Associated Press reported.
Shortly after the meme of the Vermont senator and his mittens went viral, he harnessed the image to raise over $1.8 million in merchandise for charity. In late January, Ellis put a couple of new pairs up for auction to help a couple of Vermont nonprofits. One pair benefited Passion 4 Paws, a foster-based dog rescue organization, and the other one helped Outright VT, a group promoting equity and providing support for LGBTQ+ youth.
The mitten craze has helped those making similar mittens as well. For example, the Woodstock, Vermont, store Encore Designer Consignment got a nice boost in their winter business when a flood of orders came in for their mittens, made of recycled wool and cashmere sweaters.
The impact of the Bernie mittens has warmed not only hands, but also hearts. Just think of how much those donations mean to local nonprofits trying to make it through the winter and help their communities. Unexpected fundraising efforts are always welcome, especially now.
We hope the mittens craze helps local groups and businesses as they try to find their way through these colder months. Meals on Wheels in Vermont was one of the recipients of the proceeds from the meme-themed T-shirts and sweatshirts sold from his website, as Sanders told CNN early last week. Though he, too, enjoyed the ocean of memes, the senator said, "It turns out to be actually a good thing, and not only a fun thing."
— Gareth Henderson
