IN THE PINK: Marlboro, N.J. fifth-grader Dante Cano (inset left) sent a letter (pictured) to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell asking if the league would use his idea of pink penalty flags (inset right) as part of Breast Cancer Awareness month. Sunday at MetLife Stadium the NFL will. (
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Dante Cano’s big week won’t end until Sunday, and maybe not even then. But before he and his family meet NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on the field at MetLife Stadium prior to the Jets-Dolphins game there is still school to go to and homework to be done.
And there is soccer practice, but not before Dante finishes that homework and eats his dinner. And he needs to stop snapping his soccer socks at his mother, Laura, while she talks on the telephone.
In short, Dante’s life — despite his new-found celebrity and the media attention that has come with it — remains that of a typical 11-year-old. Albeit with a little twist of pink.
“It’s been crazy,” Laura said yesterday. “There’s good crazy and there’s bad crazy. This has been good crazy. ’’
A brainstorm by Dante, a fifth-grader from Marlboro, N.J., as he sat and watched the Giants-Browns game with his father, Jose, earlier this month followed by a succinct letter to Goodell — “Dante’s a man of few words,” Laura said — will come to fruition Sunday afternoon when game officials reach into their pockets following the game’s first infraction and toss their Dante-inspired pink penalty flags.
It is the last Sunday of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and, before time ran out, Dante wanted to make sure no one missed the message.
“I was watching the Giants-Browns game and the players were wearing pink cleats and gloves,” Dante said. “I thought the penalty flag is used a lot, but it’s not so big that it can’t be changed. I figured, ‘Why not?’’’
So Dante wrote the letter and mom gave him a stamp. But before the letter went into the mail, Laura took a picture of it for Dante’s scrapbook since neither she nor her son thought anything would come of it.
But Tuesday afternoon, the Canos got a phone call from the Marlboro Recreation Department which the NFL had contacted in an effort to reach the Canos. The wheels were quickly set in motion for the pink penalty flags to be used for Sunday’s Jets game and the Canos — despite being Giants fans — to be the league’s guests.
“The best part is [Goodell] was able to respond to my letter,” said Dante, who called the entire experience “weird.”
The Canos have two daughters, 9-year-old Danielle and 14-year-old Nikki, who has Aicardi syndrome, a rare genetic disorder which has left her unable to talk or walk. Nikki, who suffers from seizures, has been hospitalized three times this year, mot recently for spinal-fusion surgery.
“[Dante and Danielle] have seen [Nikki’s] struggles lately and it’s hard for them,” Laura said. “I think all children have a sensitivity to others …. who are having difficulties in life. Maybe Dante’s heightened awareness of breast cancer was impacted by his sister.”
Dante insisted Nikki be with the family on Sunday for what his mother called a “once-in-a -lifetime experience.” As for the kid who started it all, Dante said he learned a valuable lesson simply by putting pen to paper that autumn Sunday afternoon.
“You should always take action for something if you have the opportunity to,” he said.