Sports

Playing Ball For Bedell

Annual Northern Virginia Wiffle® Ball World Series raises money for brain cancer foundation in Vienna native's name

There could have been many questions that came out of Brian Bedell's mouth as he sat in INOVA Fairfax Hospital in 2003.

It was Sept. 10, and just two days after finding out he was diagnosed with a grade IV glioblastoma brain tumor, he had gone through his first craniotomy – an operation that removes bone from the skull in order to better access the brain. 

"Why me?" is what Michael Ryan expected to hear from Bedell, who he had grown up with in Vienna.

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Instead, the first thing Bedell asked his childhood friend was "Why not me?"

"He wanted to understand the meaning of his battle and why he may have been chosen," Ryan said. "Brian believed that he had been given this challenge to assist other patients diagnosed with GBM and support their families, but, most importantly, to help find a cure."

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With little time left to live, Bedell did just that. In 2004, he formed 2 Young Foundation with friends and his wife, Amy, a Vienna-based non-profit "dedicated to caring for families and patients affected by brain cancer, connecting communities to generate public awareness, and committing funds to further research in curing this disease."

The following year, the foundation brought back one of Bedell's favorite childhood sports – wiffle ball – as its first charity event, sponsoring the Northern Virginia Wiffle® Ball World Series on Waters Field. 

It's an event that continues to benefit the 2YF foundation. This year, the tournament is scheduled for this Saturday.

At the inaugural event in 2005, Bedell – an avid sports fan and athlete who continued to play on two to three teams a season – could barely sit himself up in bed, Ryan said. He left his job at the American Red Cross to pursue experimental clinical trials at The Brain Tumor Center at Duke University in Durham, NC, since traditional treatments for his diganosis did not offer much hope for long-term survival. He had internal radiation delivered via a catheter directly into his brain (MAB), three more craniotomies, multiple chemotherapy treatments and external beam radiation.

Still, on May 23, 2005, Bedell sat in a wheelchair behind homeplate at the tournament's Herndon location. He stayed until the final four. At the plate? Ryan, batting for the team he had played on with Bedell, all of them wearing jerseys with Bedell's name and number – 22 – on the back.  

Less than 48 hours later, Bedell died at age 35, leaving behind his wife Amy, his 65-lb. yellow lab Libby, parents Mary Bedell of Vienna and Bob and Jenny Bedell of Indianapolis, along with a sister and two twin nephews, who he mentored like his own.

Six years later, and there are still traces of Bedell's quick wit, easy smile and signature laugh on Waters Field each year. And the 'little wiffle ball tournament' isn't so little, anymore. Local businesses offer their support through sponsorships, or food or activity donations. The space between the fields, community center and firehouse come alive with families watching, or playing, ball.

"I remember when he got final word from the doctors at Duke that 'he didn’t have much time left and he should spend as much time with family and friends as he can' ... he told me that 'he thought he would have more time to make a difference,'" Ryan said of Bedell. "I told him that we’d carry the torch and ensure that he is always making a difference even when he’s up in heaven looking down on all of us."

With $250,000 raised in the past six years, Ryan hopes he's living up to his promise.

"Life is too short and I was blessed to have crossed with Brian Bedell as a young kid," Ryan said. "He will always be a part of me."

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

Aug. 6, Waters Field

8:00am Team Registration – Bullpen Opens 

8:30am Spectator Gates Open 

9:15am Opening Ceremonies - Bedell Trophy Presentation 

10:00am National Anthem as performed by Mandi Meros of The Reflex 

Ceremonial First Pitch by Past 2YF President, Amy Bedell 

Division Play Begins – Play Ball! 

Foster’s Grille Kids World Opens! 

• Moon Bounces & Games 11am – 4pm 

• Special Appearance by Ronald McDonald in the Firehouse! 11am – 12:30pm 

• Face Painting by Odyssey 11am – 2pm 

• Nail Boutique by The Leigh Agency 12pm – 4pm 

2:00pm The Wheat’s Road to The Final Four 

4:00pm LF Jennings, Inc. Final Four Bedell Park 

Foster’s Grille Kids World Closes! 

5:00pm The Leigh Agency Championship Game Bedell Park 

5:30pm Post-Party at “Vienna Inn Clubhouse” Firehouse 2nd Floor Flame 

For more information, visit the tournament's website at 2yf.org.


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