Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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M ike Anello can't remember the little girl's name, but he clearly recalls ev- ery detail about a meeting with her in the summer of 2008. "She had the biggest smile on her face," Any And All Lengths To Find A Cure UPON FURTHER REVIEW TODD D. BURLAGE he said. "She was having fun, giggling, running around, just hav- ing a good time." Anello's description sounds like that of any typical 5- or 6-year- old girl. Unfortunately, this young lady's battle against childhood cancer made her anything but typical. "Just seeing and know- obstacle, or blocker, could ever stop him. Determination is his DNA, and that's why four years later, Anello continues to talk about that sick little girl and work on her behalf. "It's hard to say what would have hap- pened had I not met her," Anello said. "For what- ever reason, when I met her, it was something that I connected with and I still think about her all the time." Like his rise from walk- ing what she was going through, yet she stayed so optimistic and was still able to put a smile on her face," Anello said. "We were going through [football] camp, and guys were complaining about how hot it was and ev- erything that was going on. Meeting this little girl made things a lot easier as you tried to get through the grind." A few years have passed since Anello's memorable plays as a gunner on the Irish punt and kickoff teams made him a cult fixture at Notre Dame. Anyone who ever watched Anello play understands that no on to starter, one meeting with one little girl has led Anello to become an am- bassador to helping chil- dren with cancer through his work with the St. Bal- drick's Foundation. During his time on Former Irish football player Mike Anello helped raise more than $14,000 for the St. Baldrick's Foundation by competing in the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon. PHOTO COURTESY ST. BALDRICK'S FOUNDATION credit for taking his passion and message across the country this summer and rais- ing thousands more for the foundation through the Escape from Alcatraz Triath- lon. And now, Anello deserves even more AUGUST 2012 5 campus, Anello became the point man for recruit- ing and uniting dozens of Notre Dame football players to help raise thousands of dollars for St. Baldrick's fundraising efforts.