28th National Convention: DAY FOUR

Teamster Son Shines Light on Autism at National Convention

Joint Council 25 Vice President Champions Charitable Outreach

Teamsters Joint Council 25 Vice President Terrence J. Hancock
(left) and Teamsters Local 25 President Sean O'Brien

The 10-year-old autistic son of a Teamster won the hearts of thousands of delegates and guests throughout the fourth day of the union’s 28th National Convention.

Christopher Duffley, the son of a Teamsters Local 25 member in Charlestown, Mass., sang renditions of the National Anthem and “Lean on Me” from the convention floor in Las Vegas. Duffley was born autistic and blind, and joined Local 25 President Sean O’Brien and Teamsters Joint Council 25 Vice President Terrence J. Hancock to highlight the need for greater research, awareness and outreach for children born with autism.

“I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house,” said Hancock, whose own son, Bryan D. Hancock, lives with autism. “Christopher Duffley’s voice, humor and perseverance are a gift. He reminds us of the roles Teamsters can play in better understanding autism and working together to find a cure.”

Hancock, the President of Teamsters Local 731, will host the 10th Annual In Search of a Cure Golf Event in Honor of Bryan D. Hancock on July 28, 2011, in Oak Lawn, Ill. In less than a decade, the Teamster leader has raised more than $2 million for autism research and charitable support, in particular for Autism Speaks, the world’s largest autism advocacy organization.

In Massachusetts, O’Brien and Local 25 have organized their own charitable events to support further research. In May, Teamsters gathered in Boston for Local 25’s 4th Annual Light Up the Night Gala for Autism, and participated in athletic initiatives with Walk Now for Autism Speaks.

Approximately nine in every 1,000 children in the United States are born with autism. There is currently no known cure for the developmental disorder. To learn more about autism and find ways to get involved, please visit www.AutismSpeaks.org.

Teamsters Local 731 is an affiliate of Teamsters Joint Council 25, which represents more than 100,000 hardworking men and women throughout Illinois and Indiana.

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