Penn State Sports THEFINAL THE TAIL END WORD Breakfast with Champions

“Nobody really knows droves. In addition to the three guest speakers Rubin had By Chris Morelli lined up, plenty of former Nittany Lions turned out. where I’ll go, but I have “The buzz in the room was unbelievable. Charlie Pittman had scouts tell me that my he way Lee Rubin looks at things, shows up, stops by, all these guys come it’s time to give a little back. through. Bobby Engram, who had just played in the stock is on the rise. Some The former Penn State safety is Super Bowl, shows up. I’m like ‘wait a minute, we’re on to have said that I could even enjoyingT life these days. He’s got a good something here.’ The people who were there were in heav- job as a corporate recruiter in New en,” Rubin said. go on the first day. They Jersey. He’s married with two wonderful With fans coming to Happy Valley in droves for the Blue- children. Like most former Nittany Lions, White Game, Rubin knows that they have to eat breakfast said that I could be though, Rubin isn’t content to just sit around. He likes to somewhere. Instead of plunking several dollars down at a anywhere from third help people. With his latest venture, he’s doing just that. downtown establishment, he says, why not eat at the Rubin is actively involved with the Community Refuge Inn with some former greats? round to free agent with Education and Recreation Center, a non-profit organiza- For Rubin, the breakfast is the highlight of the giving all the extra stuff that is tion that is committed to providing programs and services year. that are intended to enrich, empower and educate resi- “This is my baby. This is the part that I love. This stuff is going on.” dents in central New Jersey. what gets me going,” he said. “I’ve been a very fortunate, — Ed Johnson, former Penn “The organization was set up to very blessed young man. I had a provide services and support to great family structure, great sup- State defensive tackle young people in the central ‘This is my baby. This is port at home. I see talented, Jersey area. It’s a rather affluent bright young kids who don’t have part of the state, but there are a the part that I love. those opportunities and I want to “ ” “ ” “ ” “ ” whole lot of people who are not This stuff is what gets me help give them a chance.” “Right now we are saying affluent,” Rubin said. “They’ve It’s often said that behind every slipped through the cracks aca- going. I’ve been a very good man is a good woman, and that we’re going to the demically, so we try to create a that’s definitely the case with safety net, so to speak. A lot of fortunate, very blessed Rubin. national championship. them come from single-parent His wife, Carmen, is the execu- The guys, this winter, we homes where no one has ever young man. I had a great tive director of the Community been to college. We try to provide Refuge Education and Recreation worked out really hard support.” family structure, great Center. If Lee is the muscle of the and a lot of people To help the cause, Rubin is organization, Carmen is the coordinating the Second Annual support at home. I see braintrust. An eighth grade stepped up into leaders- Blue-White Scholarship teacher and the mother of two ship roles and everything Breakfast, which will be held the talented, bright young kids likes to wear many hats. Why? morning of the Blue-White Game Because she’s been there, that’s is positive right now.” beginning at 9 a.m. at the who don’t have these why. — Derrick Williams, Penn State . “Originally, I wanted to start a This year, there are a pair of opportunities and I want to tutoring program. We wanted to wide receiver featured speakers — former help those kids who sort of fall Nittany Lions D.J. Dozier and help give them a chance.’ through the cracks. I’m reaching Tyoka Jackson. back because someone lifted me “ ” “ ” “ ” “ ” The breakfast was Rubin’s brainchild. It all stemmed, he up. It’s my way of giving back, absolutely. I put on a lot of said, by taking underprivileged youngsters to the Blue- different hats during the day,” Carmen said. “That’s how we felt last White Game many years ago. The CRERC got its start in 1999, when the group year down at bowl prac- “We’ve been doing the trips for eight years. That has received a $3,000 grant. That got the wheels turning. really grown. It started with a buddy putting a couple of The scholarship breakfast appears to be a hit. tice. We started doing kids in the back of his car. It’s grown to a chartered bus “It’s been overwhelming. (The breakfast) is the biggest real well against our and an overnight stay,” Rubin said. event of the year for us because people are so connected Then, in 2006, Rubin came up with the idea of the to Penn State. It is definitely our biggest fundraiser,” defense and it was just scholarship breakfast. He wasn’t sure what the response Carmen said. would be like, but he thought he would give it a go. It’s not just the breakfast that raises funds, though. The like a big boost of “I always thought, there are 50,000 fans up here (for the breakfast will feature a silent auction with signed col- confidence for our game). We can get 50 of them to come to a scholarship lectibles from PSU greats like , Lydell breakfast. The funds go to directly to the scholarship Mitchell, , Kyle Brady, O.J. McDuffie and offense. We went into fund. We toyed around with a couple of ideas. We called a Ki-Jana Carter — just to name a few. that game thinking if we few places. We wanted to get some speakers who would be Tickets are just $25 and are available through the orga- attractive,” Rubin said. nization’s website, www.crerc.org. can do that against the The response was overwhelming. So go have breakfast, get some autographs and bid on Penn State defense, why He lined up a couple of guest speakers, including former some memorabilia. But don’t forget to stop and say hello Penn State Jerry Sandusky, who to the Rubins and thank them for all that they do. can’t we do this against knows what it’s like to start an organization — The Second In the process, you can help a child. anybody? It’s helped us a Mile — from scratch. “I was that kid, so I know what these kids want, what Also present were former Penn Stater player Terry Smith they need,” Carmen said. “We’re just trying to provide lot.” and academic advisor Don Ferrell. something so kids can get that little something extra.” — Anthony Morelli, Penn State But it didn’t stop there. At the breakfast, the Penn State family turned out in Chris Morelli is the editor of Blue White Illustrated. quarterback

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