Purple. A color derived from fiery red and cool blue, many artists say it is the ideal color. Spiritualists contend it symbolizes magic, mystery, and, yes, even royalty. And still others are adamant that associations to the color will yield personal fulfillment and peace of mind. Children? Many of them just intuitively know it brings them happiness- they seemingly can’t get enough of it.
For 20-year-old Marie Rose Vigil, she, too, loved the color purple- it was, after all, her favorite color. Its magical properties must have rubbed off. Marie Rose was always celebrating life, grabbing for the best it had to offer, while continuously radiating her boundless energy and zest for living to all she came in contact with. She had a contagious spirit. And so it was only fitting that many players, families, and friends attending the inaugural Marie Vigil Memorial softball tournament wore purple in honor of the young lady and tournament’s namesake who was tragically taken in the prime of her life, passing away June 12, 2010.
Marie remains strong in the hearts of many, including the Southern Nevada softball community and the staff of Varian Medical Systems, Inc.., where her dad, Rich, and mom, Evelyn, have tirelessly worked for decades.
You could just sense Marie’s bright and shining spirit hovering at the June 25 tournament at the Russell Road Sports Complex in Henderson, Nevada. With the mercury breaking 100 degrees for the first day of the summer season, 10 Southern Nevada teams, representing over 100 players, accompanied and cheered on by family and friends, took to the field to fiercely compete in the recreational double elimination style AFA sanctioned modified rule tournament.
All total, a couple hundred people or so played in or watched the exciting inaugural softball tournament, which featured plenty of true athletic grit and moxy. Included in the history-making mix, the entire Men’s softball team of Varian participated, as well as many other current or former Varian softball players, some of which played on competing tournament teams. And still other Varian employees just came out to take in the action.
“I was overwhelmed by the support we received from people,” said Amy Bernard, Varian employee and tournament co-organizer. “There was a moment during the games where we presented the Vigil family with Marie’s diploma, because she was just a few short weeks away from completing her nursing program. I felt a sense of calmness and peace. I can’t really explain how humbling it was to be a part of this event, but I really felt a sense of community come together for a great cause.”
The honorary medical assistant certificate degree was posthumously conferred to Marie by Northwest Health Careers in Las Vegas, Nevada, and presented to the Vigil family as a surprise during a break in the tournament action– very few people knew about the presentation beforehand, not even the Vigils.
As emotions welled up inside and he tried to fight back his tears, Rich Vigil, father to Marie, said upon receiving the unexpected honor, “It was incredible. It completely caught us off guard. It is just such an honor for us, and we are extremely appreciative. It was unbelievable, all the people and the genuine support from everyone. We are not accustomed to being the recipients of such things. And it just shows what a great community the softball group is. When my granddaughter is old enough [two-year-old Cassandra], I will make sure she hears about and understands the meaning of it all. I would really like to thank all who participated, and especially those at Varian who set it all up, from the very bottom of our hearts.”
Ensuing tournament action, though not tear-jerking, provided loads of heart-pounding non-stop excitement. Teams battled tooth and nail against strong competition, but it was Jack’s Place who ultimately emerged victorious, winning the championship game 23-13 over Lights Out in a hard fought contest not indicative of the final score. Jack’s Place went undefeated in the tournament, winning all four of the games they played.
Jesse Hainley, manager of Jack’s Place- a team that has been together for a little over a year, comprised mainly of Air Force personnel stationed in Las Vegas - commented on the tournament and their victory: “It was a great tournament for a great cause. Some of our players knew Rich, and although I don’t believe anyone knew him personally, we have played against him and respect the way he plays the game and hearing about his daughter made us respect him and his family that much more.”
Hainley attributed his team’s win to solid player-friend chemistry and their strong defensive play. “We played three of our four games on the field facing west and the wind really equalized the teams during those three games, so our defense pulled out those wins. In the championship game with Light’s Out we were on the other field and were able to unleash our power hitters more so our defense wasn’t on the hook that game,” said Hainley.
Although this was the their first tournament win comprised solely from Jack’s Place players (in the past they used family members to fill in for their regular players who were sometimes out due to work commitments), their core team members have played for three sessions at Big League Dreams, amassing an enviable 15-0 record. “We hopefully want to make a run at D Nationals by the end of next year,” Hainley added.
Lights Out competed valiantly, though, playing a hard fought tournament, but apparently the exhausting toll of playing six games in the scorching desert sun finally caught up with them and they finished in second place with a very respectable 4-2 record. Third place went to the scrappy and tight knit Hell Hippos (2-2). Thrown Together clinched the fourth place berth (3-2), while Beer Dawgs (2-2) rounded out the top five.
Although Thrown Together finished in fourth place, it was arguably the Cinderella team of the tournament. Formed from a group of softball-hungry guys without a team that just wanted to play, they were literally thrown together on the fly at the last minute. The team was quickly organized by Varian employee, player, and tournament co-organizer Larry Ruggieri, who, with the assistance from on-the-field coach and Varian player Brian McCarthy, contributed to their win. Talk about unselfish Varian teamwork! Kudos go out to Thrown Together for a great first-time showing.
The tournament was a huge success in another way: Varian organizers beat their first-year fundraising goal of $1,200 by a whopping $1,800, raising over $3,000- and that was with only 10 teams participating, not their ideal goal of 12 teams.
All money raised in the tournament will go to help the Vigil family. A memorial fund for Marie Rose has been set up to help defray any medical and funeral costs, as well as to be used to help the family with Marie’s only daughter, two-year-old Cassandra.
The incredible tournament success was a result of the unselfish sharing and caring from many people and groups who all chipped in and donated their time, money, and resources- some of them without any personal link to the Vigil family, or even a connection to Varian prior to the tournament.
In particular, special commendation goes out to AFA Nevada (American Fastpitch Association), who sanctioned the tournament, provided the insurance, and the umpires who all graciously donated their time, not receiving any pay for the tournament. AFA Nevada also provided free T-shirts as prizes for the first place team, as well as helping with the tournament planning.
Heartfelt appreciation extends to Ted Lockamon and Jen Weitz from the City of Henderson. They did not charge a fee for the use of their fields, only a small charge for monitor and maintenance fees.
And special thanks goes to Bob Drubkain the Security and Inspection Products division of Varian. Without his SIPs support, the tournament most likely would not have taken place.
The great news is the Marie Vigil Memorial Tournament is planned to be an annual event, tentatively planned for March or April. “We want more teams and music…” said Bernard.
“This event was an incredible way to remember a very special young lady and her family, who, throughout the Varian family they are always there for,” says Bernard. “We would definitely like to thank them for allowing us to continue this journey and hopefully continue this softball tournament in the future. We will be making this an annual event and hope to support a very special family.”
Marie Rose was indeed a very special lady who made her family, friends, and even casual acquaintances, always proud to know her. A comment by Janene King-Sablan, quoted from an anonymous author, appearing following Marie’s obituary in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, says it best: “Those we love don’t go away, They walk beside us every day, Unseen, unheard, but always near, Still loved, still missed and very dear.”
If you would like to donate, there is still time. Please make a check out to the “The Marie Vigil Memorial Fund” and deposit at your nearest Wells Fargo Bank under the account number 7937655806.