Shelly Kirkland, Tim Brueggeman and Jimmy Jackson. PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS

An inaugural Veterans Cup tournament treated tennis enthusiasts to a special evening at the Boulevard Tennis Club highlighted by past champions and current touring professionals, to support three nonprofits headquartered in Vero Beach: The Boot Campaign, Do You Give A Ruck and the Community Health Coalition.

“We have some of the best tennis players on the tour; we have five of the former No. 1-ranked doubles players,” said Tim Brueggeman, director of tennis at the Boulevard.

Hosted by the Boulevard Charities, a philanthropic arm of the club, the event’s major sponsor was Tom Collins Insurance. Activities began earlier in the day with a clinic with the pros and, following opening ceremonies, people wandered around the facility to watch as the players competed in a pro-am format on all six courts.

“We felt like there’s a lot of great events, but there’s definitely not been a tennis event that benefits veterans,” said Brueggeman, explaining that the charities included two for veterans and one for the community.

The Boot Campaign strives to improve the lives of veterans by providing personalized care through nationwide programs that address each individual’s mental and physical wellbeing and their overall quality of life.

“Our main program, where we spend the bulk of our effort, energy and funding, is in the health and wellness arena. We provide individualized care for people struggling with brain injury, post-traumatic stress, chronic pain, self-medication and insomnia,” said Shelly Kirkland, Boot Campaign CEO.

Do You Give A Ruck raises awareness funding through Ruck Marches, distributing monies they raise to veteran-related organizations on the Treasure Coast that assist veterans with areas such as food, housing, mental health care, car repairs, service dogs and education.

The Community Health Coalition assists marginalized communities with medical, emotional and spiritual assistance through two projects. The Knock Out Rabies Vaccine Initiative vaccinates dogs in central Africa to reduce the high rate of pediatric rabies. In Vero Beach, their Sugar Bloom Foundation collaborates with local oncologists to extend emotional support to cancer patients through letters and the gift of Sugar Bloom orchids.

Opening ceremonies included members of the local Vietnam Veterans of America Color Guard presenting the flags, and JROTC cadet Zara Ramirez performing the National Anthem.

Among the top pros were twins Bob and Mike Bryan, who Brueggeman said were “by far one of the greatest double teams of all time”; Juan Cabal, three-time Grand Slam Champion in men’s doubles; Robert Farah, two-time Grand Slam Champion in men’s doubles; Cyril Sauinier, who has played all four Grand Slams; Gold Medalist Nicolas Massu, ATP World No. 9; and Jean-Julien Rojer, a four-time Grand Slam champion.

In the end, three Vero Beach players did our little town proud. The winning doubles pair was Jean-Julien Rojer, partnered with Dani Garza, eight-time Davis Cup veteran for Mexico and currently a high-performance coach at the Boulevard.

After a hard-fought battle, they had bested Marco Osorio, a former Mexican Davis Cup captain and currently director of racquet sports at Grand Harbor Club, who played with tennis aficionado and coach Mike Hickey, broker/owner of M&M Realty Associates.

For more information, visit BoulevardTennis.com, BootCampaign.org, DoYouGiveARuck.com, or CHCVero.org.

Photos by Joshua Kodis