‘Larger than life.’ State College community rallies around longtime educator Rudy Burruss
When the State College community learned about longtime educator Rudy Burruss’ cancer battle through a GoFundMe shared by his now-wife, it immediately sprung to action, more than doubling the goal to raise money for his medical costs and treatment.
And on Tuesday, the State College girls basketball team continued that support with a “Blue Out” game in his honor. Students, teachers, coaches, players and other staff members were decked out in blue shirts — the color of colon cancer awareness — to support Burruss.
Through sales of T-shirts and raffle tickets, along with donations, the Blue Out raised an additional $3,350 for Burruss, who was diagnosed with colon cancer in November and Hodgkin’s Lymphoma this month.
Burruss watched the game from home, but at halftime, when a wave of supporters in blue streamed onto the court, Superintendent Bob O’Donnell read a message from the former boys basketball assistant coach.
“Please let everyone know that I am humbled and honored for this rally,” Burruss wrote. “I’ll be watching this one from home. I miss everybody terribly and everybody’s love and support fuels me to win this battle.”
Burruss worked as a paraprofessional in the State College Area School District for 24 years, helping students with disabilities and teachers. He also wore many hats in the community during that time — serving as the junior varsity boys basketball head coach from 2014-2021 before becoming the state director of the National Education Association, where he advocated for professionals in education and prepared students become successful in an interwoven society. He now serves as the region president of the Pennsylvania State Education Association.
“Anyone who has spent time in our high school has interacted with Rudy,” O’Donnell said. “He’s a big man with an even bigger heart. He’s always all sunshine when he’s working with the high school to support multiple kids with disabilities. He’s also been a longtime assistant coach for our boys basketball team and I might add, one of the best-dressed men of all time. Obviously, we’re hoping and praying for the day that we get Rudy back in here for a great celebration as part of his return.”
Since posting the GoFundMe in November, Burruss’ wife Theresa Flood uses the site to give updates on his health and the support that the community has shown. In a Nov. 22 update, she shared photos of Burruss posing next to rows of cards and notes of support that had been sent to him.
“Thank you so very much for all of the love and support,” she wrote. “We absolutely love reading your ‘Rudy’ stories that you have shared with us.”
Flood has been there every step of the way — recruiting the community to help support costs associated with medical equipment, medication, treatments, transportation to and from his treatments and more. Flood has attended treatments with Burruss and the two still were able to deliver meals on Thanksgiving.
The two were married in a private ceremony on Dec. 1. The next day, they went right back to work with the oncologist to discuss their plan of care for his health. Following a number of other visits, they found that Burruss had Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
“The oncologist called today and provided us with more information,” Flood wrote in a Jan. 18 update on the GoFundMe page. “It is confirmed that Rudy also has Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, although she hasn’t told us type or stage just yet. She would like to attack the colon cancer first and then the lymphoma. The next steps are to have another MRI of the pelvis and schedule an appointment with the surgeon who will remove the tumor in the colon.”
In the same update, Flood wrote that the two were “taking things day by day and finding joy in every moment we have together.”
State College girls basketball assistant coach Ryan Walsh has known Burruss for “more than half” of his life, in his estimation. The duo have been nearly inseparable since 1998, when Walsh joined the program. Tuesday’s “Blue Out” was a special moment, Walsh said.
“There are so many people that want to show him how much we care about him,” he said. “We joke a lot about how the Little Lion is our mascot, but there’s no one that’s part of this community that doesn’t know Rudy. He just represents everything good about education and working with kids.”
State College athletic director Chris Weakland joined the State College Area School District in 1989 and Burruss joined eight years later as an instructional paraprofessional. His relationship with Burruss has been one of respect and admiration, as well as holding Weakland accountable.
“He has tremendous energy,” Weakland said. “He has a tremendous personality, he’s larger than life on a lot of different levels, literally and figuratively. I know I can always count on Rudy to give everything he has as a paraprofessional working with kids and also on the court, off of the court and everything. He’ll be the first one to tell you that he challenges me as an athletic director. He’s willing to just go at it with me and challenge me in a respectful way. I love that about him. I know when we get Rudy, we get the best that Rudy has to offer every day.”
