When a photographer took a picture of U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders bundled up against the cold and wearing a pair of home-made mittens to the Jan. 20 inauguration of Joe Biden as president, it was an image that launched dozens of memes across the internet, with the image of the seated Sanders inserted into television and movie stills, album covers and famous artwork.
In Langley, the 79-year-old Vermont Democratic senator popped up as a playground monitor.
Chris Wejr, principal of Aldergrove’s Shortreed Elementary he was inspired by a teacher at the school, Samantha Creech, who created an image that showed Sanders at the front entrance to the school.
Wejr posted his own composite image of Sanders, at the playground, commenting that he was “not sure about this new noon hour supervisor.”
Not sure about this new noon hour supervisor. #berniesmittens pic.twitter.com/qrbnGCtLoH
— Chris Wejr (@ChrisWejr) January 21, 2021
It had been a “rough week” at the school that had, among other things, included a power failure, Wejr remarked, and everyone needed a laugh.
“We just try to have fun with social media,” Wejr explained.
He also posted the Creech image of Sanders at the entrance to the school.
“He was much better at looking after our health checks at the front of the school” Wejr joked online.
He was much better at looking after our health checks at the front of the school. pic.twitter.com/VhgA0KvhUu
— Chris Wejr (@ChrisWejr) January 22, 2021
Wejr got some social media attention last year when he posted a video snow day message for students.
READ MORE: Aldergrove principal records hilarious snow day parody for students
The video parodied the slow ballad Home by Michael Bublé, but instead of ‘I want to go home’ in the first chorus Wejr sang: “Another snow day, was announced today. Two days in a row, you need to stay home.”
It won the attention of Bublé, who donated two tickets to an upcoming concert, which were raffled off to raise funds for the school PAC.
READ ALSO: PHOTOS: Bernie Sanders visits B.C. landmarks through the magic of photo editing
There were several other B.C. examples of the Sanders meme, including one that placed him next to Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry at a B.C. COVID briefing.
Looking forward to tomorrow’s #COVID19BC briefing by @DrBonnieHenry, @adriandix ft. @BernieSanders #wheresbernie #bcpoli #BernieSanders pic.twitter.com/qBXRtIy9KD
— Dr. Birinder Narang MBBS (Hons), CCFP (@DrBirinderSingh) January 21, 2021
An amused Sanders later told talk show host Seth Meyers that “I was just sitting there trying to keep warm.”
Sanders is now selling sweat shirts with the image to raise money for Meals on Wheels in Vermont.
🚨 OFFICIAL CHAIRMAN SANDERS SWEATER 🚨
Made in the USA, Union printed. 100% of proceeds go to Meals on Wheels Vermont. https://t.co/Nv8Ng0K217 pic.twitter.com/yfXOsp3acX
— People for Bernie (@People4Bernie) January 22, 2021
The attention-getting mittens, Sanders explained, were hand-made for him, as a gift, by Vermont school teacher Jen Ellis.
Ellis was flooded with requests for her mittens and went online to advise people that she had no more for sale.
“I’m so flattered that Bernie wore them to the inauguration,” Ellis told Twitter.
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