Memorial softball tournament raises funds for family

WOODBRIDGE — A co-ed memorial softball tournament held Saturday at Pfitzner Stadium in Woodbridge raised $6,500 for a woman who fought a hard battle with breast cancer until last month.

Stafford resident Mariel Berrios-Riebe, 37, died Oct. 19 after battling metastatic breast cancer for about two years.

Thirteen teams participated in the tournament, which consisted of 350 players, according to the event’s organizer Cherish Green, who took on the project with Pam Grubaugh and Sean Commerford.

Green, of Woodbridge, said the event was a success thanks to the generosity of local businesses and players who offered their support. Value Properties Corp. won first place in the Rec League Division, and Think Pink won Division 1 - First Place, she said following the tournament.

Berrios-Riebe is survived by her husband Robert; her three children, Noah, 9, Sophia, 7, and Joseph, 3; her parents Daniel Gamalier Berrios and Maritza Diaz; and her siblings, Waldo Berrios and Armando Carrion.

Berrios-Riebe, who graduated from Osbourn Park High School in 1991, first found a lump in her breast when she was nursing one of her children, said her friend Meredith Meixner, of Culpeper.

Meixner, noting she’s known Berrios-Riebe for 15 years, said that the two have worked together, been roommates and have had gone through having children at the same time.

“’I’m so excited to see what we can give to Rob and the kids,” she said during the tournament, mentioning that separate events will help, too (a Tigerlily fundraiser and Stafford Elementary PTA function).

Friends described Berrios-Riebe as a vibrant, nature-loving people person with a zest for life and a wonderful mother who befriended everyone. She was active in local and national causes and politics such as campaigning for the preservation of Crow’s Nest in Stafford County — she lived in Brooke in Stafford County, adjacent to Crow’s Nest — and supporting both Paul Ortiz, who challenged incumbent Stafford County Republican Supervisor Paul Milde — and President-Elect Barack Obama during his campaign.

Sean Reid, of Stafford, who was playing on the team One-Hit Wonders on Saturday, said he and his wife Sheryl Reid knew Berrios-Riebe for four to five years.

“Mariel was a beautiful girl with a beautiful heart. She is definitely going to be missed. This is no problem at all," he said. "This is nothing. I’d do it a hundred times.”   

 “She was in pain,” said her friend Rosie Clark regarding the illness, “but she tried to hold on for her babies.”

Clark, of Woodbridge, who befriended Berrios-Riebe more than 17 years ago said the two always said their children were “friends since the womb.”

Clark said that Berrios-Riebe had long, beautiful hair, and struggled a little when it fell out, but she was optimistic and fought hard against the disease. She had no family history of breast cancer and even grew her own vegetables, Clark said.

Clark was at Disneyland —the happiest place on earth — when Berrios-Riebe called to tell her she had breast cancer. Clark said she “cried her eyes out.”

“I still can’t believe she’s gone,” said Clark.

Smiling, Clark remembered that Berrios-Riebe was always late. She was three hours late when she got remarried, Clark said, but no one could ever be mad at her because the girl with the dimple on one side of her face always had a smile for everyone.

“She was amazing,” Clark said.

Grubaugh, of Manassas, who worked on the event’s bake sale and donations, said: “I think it’s gone awesome, and I’m overwhelmed by all the support and generosity. I didn’t realize how many people would come out.”

But it should be no surprise. After all, Berrios-Riebe was about people, friends said.

“Kids, friends and family,” said Grubaugh — that’s what Mariel was all about.

Tracy Bell is managing editor of the Stafford County Sun. Reach her at tbell@insidenova.com.