Alan Dunn and his family are very involved in generating awareness of autism and fundraising for Autism Speaks. Earlier this year, Alan launched AutismAwareness.com, a website dedicated to helping people learn about autism. In addition, Alan’s family annually raises money for Autism Speaks via Team Alek, named after his son, Alek.

Yesterday evening, I received an email from Alan announcing their annual Autism Speaks fundraising drive. Here’s what Alan had to say about the campaign:

When I was in high school or college, I bought a piece of US Olympic memorabilia on a whim. My parents were going through my closet at my childhood home, and they reminded me about this 1976 Olympic blazer from the US Olympic team that I bought. I am curious if you know anything about it and whether it’s worth something.

I don’t have any provenance or know anything about the history of the blazer. I saw a video of the opening ceremony from the 1976 Montreal Olympics, and if you watch at 2:50, you can see the US Olympic team entering with the men wearing what looks to be this blazer. At 2:53, if you look at the man in the middle, you can see the patch on the right arm, which matches the location of the patch.

I have no idea if there are other ways to verify authenticity, although I can’t imagine that this would be something that is counterfeited. My only other thought if it’s not “authentic” is that it could potentially have been sold at Montgomery Ward because of one of the inner pocket patches. There are some photos below.

Do you have any idea how to tell if it is authentic and worth something? It looks pretty cool.

I finished my Pan-Mass Challenge ride today, and I want to thank the many people who supported my fundraising efforts for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. When all is said and done, you will have helped raise over $8,000 in funds that will go to a fantastic organization that is helping people fight cancer and doing vital research to find a cure. Of course, if you would like, you may still donate 🙂

I didn’t do as much training for the ride as last year, but I feel pretty good right now. I am a tiny bit sore, but that is to be expected. We had great weather today with sun in the high 80s. Last year was rainy, so this was a marked improvement.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

My Pan-Mass Challenge ride to raise funds for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is happening this coming Sunday! My wife and I will saddle up to ride the Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) with 6,000 fellow cyclists to raise money for life-saving cancer research and treatment at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI).  We are riding together as Team Silver. You can find our team website by visiting  TeamSilver.Rocks.

The PMC raises more money for charity than any other single event in the country – $455 million since 1980 and $41 million last year alone. This year’s goal is $45 million! This amazing gift is possible because a lot of people ride and care about a cure, and we have some great sponsors.

I am committed to ride and hope to raise at least $7,200. Thanks to friends, family, and colleagues (plus personal contributions), there is

I haven’t mentioned anything about the Super Bowl yet, and I want to see who readers think will win the Super Bowl (being played on Sunday). I live about 30 minutes from Foxboro (where the New England Patriots play), and I am a big Pats fan. I root for all of the Boston sports teams, but I only closely follow the Red Sox and Patriots.

I know there are readers from around the country and around the world, and I am curious about who you think is going to win tomorrow. Vote in the poll below… Seattle Seahawks or New England Patriots?