A recent gourmet wine dinner at Aqua Grill in Ponte Vedra Beach and golf tournament/party at Marsh Landing Country Club generated net proceeds of over $110,000 for the Kate Amato Foundation, a locally founded nonprofit organization that funds pediatric cancer research.
The foundation was started after Lisa and Jeff Amato lost their daughter, Kate Amato, in 2016 to a rare and aggressive form of pediatric cancer. The family was inspired to continue the fight against childhood cancer by raising funds to help find innovative and effective treatments.
“There is a lack of funding for pediatric cancer treatment because it’s just not as profitable,” Aqua Grill owner Cary Hart said. “I hear what these children and their families go through and my heart just bleeds. I have two kids and I can’t imagine the pain. It’s amazing the strength of the Amato family.”
The Sunday night wine dinner at Aqua Grill was sold out with more than 60 guests, who bid generously on a wide variety of items including jewelry, artwork, golf experiences and international travel packages to Scotland and South Africa.
Although the Kate Klassic Golf Tournament was rained out the next day at Marsh Landing Country Club, the benefit continued to raise money with silent auctions, a golf pong tournament, food and drinks.
“We love how the day turned out; it perfectly reflected Kate’s warm and resilient spirit,” Lisa Amato said. “We persisted despite the weather, and people came together to enjoy each other’s company and continue to raise money for pediatric cancer research, which is severely underfunded.”
This is the second year of activity for the foundation. In October, it was announced that the $100,000 from the first year’s fundraisers was being distributed among three major university-based research projects. According to the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation, only four percent of federal cancer research funding goes to studying pediatric cancer. The Kate Amato Foundation hopes to garner more support by organizing fundraising tournaments such as the recent Kate Klassic Golf Tournament and Kate’s Kup Triples Tennis Tournament in April.
The Amatos believe this year’s golf tournament was a success.
“Because of the tremendous support of Cary Hart and the staff at the Aqua Grill, the amazing staff at Marsh Landing, more than 50 volunteers and our beloved and committed supporters, we turned a rainy weekend into an extremely successful fundraising effort for the foundation,” Lisa and Jeff Amato said together.
To learn more about ways to give or find information about the upcoming Kate’s Kup Triples Tennis Tournament at The Oak Bridge Club at Sawgrass, call (904) 629-8300 or email info@kateamatofoundation.org.
