ROANOKE, Va. – A special event at Hidden Valley Country Club Saturday brought awareness and support to a cause that can impact any family, at any time.
The third annual Hidden Valley Country Club Open featured men’s and women’s amateur and club-level tournament play, with competitors vying for prize money on a warm summer morning.
This year, the tournament partnered with the Team Luke Hope for Minds Foundation, started by former Texas Tech tennis coach Tim Siegel, whose son Luke suffered a traumatic brain injury in 2015. Siegel became his son’s caretaker and witnessed the emotional and financial toll firsthand. Luke passed away in 2021 due to COVID-19 complications.
Team Luke Hope for Minds was established in 2017 to support families navigating similar life-altering circumstances, providing financial assistance, education, and hope for better recoveries.
Siegel led a free youth tennis clinic Saturday morning and took time to share his message with the Roanoke Valley.
“It’s to always fight, never give up, because my son did that until his last breath,” Siegel said. “And so I was always thinking that Luke was going to speak, but he is speaking. He’s just speaking through me.”
“It’s overwhelming. I had a great reception last night with all the sponsors. A lot of people didn’t even know anything about Team Luke. And of course, I owe it all to Eduardo, but I’m just so blessed.”
Eduardo Rincon, Hidden Valley’s tennis director, said he hopes the foundation’s story reaches beyond the tennis community.
“It’s a tennis story. Old tennis players are familiar with it, but I would like to take it beyond the tennis court and expose it to our community as a whole,” Rincon said.
Competitor David Durham echoed the sentiment.
“It’s so fun to be out here competing again, but learning about Luke and his father right here — the Hope for Minds is a platform for a greater cause,” Durham said. “I was really happy to learn about the story, and I’m really happy to be here and support that.”
To support the cause, you can click here.