A marathon speech delivered by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., more than five years ago is now paying some big dividends to the Addison County Parent/Child Center.

It was on Dec. 10, 2010, that Sanders — now in a battle for the Democratic nomination for president — took to the podium in the U.S. Senate chambers and launched into an eight-and-a-half-hour filibuster decrying the preservation of the Bush-era tax cuts for the highest wage-earners.

It was a speech that garnered a lot of publicity, to the extent that the publishing company Nation Books asked for Sanders’ permission to transcribe his impassioned oratory into a book. Sanders agreed, and in 2011, “The Speech” was released.

Sanders declined any profits associated with the 288-page book, preferring to have them given to a nonprofit that he has long admired and respected: The Addison County Parent/Child Center.

Sanders and his staff have been frequent visitors to the center, which provides childcare, education, job training, housing and other resources for young parents making a transition to careers and successful households. Sanders is also a former Head Start teacher.