'Not Done Yet': Bernie Sanders Campaign Mobilizes Donors for Coronavirus Relief and Raises $2 Million

"The Bernie Sanders campaign puts its fundraising prowess to another purpose."

by

Eoin Higgins, staff writer

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) takes the stage during a primary night event on February 11, 2020 in Manchester, New Hampshire. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Sen. Bernie Sanders' for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination campaign's prodigious fundraising operation raised $2 million for charities helping those most affected by the coronavirus outbreak crisis in the last 48 hours in a move that supporters said exemplified the message of solidarity the Vermont lawmaker has run on.

"Bernie Sanders supporters have contributed more than $2 million in 2 days to charities helping people whose lives have been impacted by the coronavirus," tweeted political strategist Tim Tagaris. "Not done yet."

Bernie Sanders’ campaign says it raised $2 million in two days for Meals on Wheels, Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation’s relied fund and other charities amid the coronavirus pandemic.

— Holly Otterbein (@hollyotterbein) March 21, 2020

The campaign mobilized staff and volunteers to text and call to raise money for five charities: Meals on Wheels, No Kid Hungry, Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund, One Fair Wage Emergency Fund, and the National Domestic Workers Alliance. 

Robin Curran, the campaign's digital fundraising director, said in a statement that the money raised showed the importance of Sanders' "Not me, us" slogan.

"What we've seen in the last two days is the definition of 'fighting for someone you don't know,'" said Curran. "The people supporting this campaign have made more than 50,000 donations to help those most impacted by coronavirus because they understand that now more than ever it is important that we are in this together."

According to the campaign, there will be more efforts to raise money for the least fortunate affected by the crisis in the coming days.

The @BernieSanders' campaign puts its fundraising prowess to another purpose: It raised $2 million in 48 hours for five charities involved in coping with the coronavirus outbreak, the campaign announced Saturday.

— Janet Hook (@hookjan) March 21, 2020

Sanders has taken a leadership role on handling the crisis both in Washington and nationally. The senator has led online forums on the crisis and addressed the nation via virtual "fireside chats."

As Common Dreams reported Friday, Sanders' remaining rival for the Democratic nomination, former Vice President Joe Biden, has not been seen in days. 

On Friday night, during a roundtable on the outbreak, Sanders said that the crisis can only be solved by innovative thinking and extreme measures.

"In this extraordinary moment in American and world history, we have got to think outside the box in a way that we have never done," said Sanders. "This is an unprecedented moment and we have got to think in an unprecedented way."