The Kate Amato Foundation raised $85,000 at the second annual KATE KUP Triples Tennis Tournament April 5-6 at the Oak Bridge Club at Sawgrass.
The weekend kicked off Friday, April 5, with a VIP party at 3 Palms Grille. The event featured cocktails, food and beverages, live entertainment from The Band Be Easy and a silent auction and raffle. Thanks to the generosity of a loyal supporter, the foundation received a matching gift to double the proceeds from the evening.
The following day, over 100 spectators attended the KATE KUP Triples Tennis Tournament. The Tournament Champion was awarded to team “Supreme Court” (Liz Burke, Margaret DeSaussure and Nandino Lango), and Second Place went to team “Anger Management” (Casey Cohen, Julie Henderson and Rob Wilcox).
The Mini-KATE KUP Champion (beginner division) was team “Three’s Company” (Brandy Fox, Tina Toomey and Sonny Smith), and Second Place was awarded to team “The Volley Girls” (Karen May, Finley White and Michelle Evanger). The Best Team Costume was awarded to two teams: “Baby got Backhand” (Megan McGraw, Haze McCabe and Jen Cleek) and “Kick Cancer’s Butt (Karim Crowley, Carrie Molinari and Stephanie Cills). The KATE Award for Top Fundraising went to team “Eat Fuzz” (Kelly Burnett, Mike Burnett and Max Gainer) for raising $5,850.
Several local businesses rallied to support the event as sponsors and in-kind sponsors for refreshments and entertainment. Multiple local families also contributed.
The Kate Amato Foundation was formed in 2017 in honor of Kate Amato, who battled cancer for over 2 years. At the young age of 9, Kate was diagnosed with Stage 4 alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, an aggressive soft tissue cancer that attacks skeletal muscles. Kate’s Foundation is dedicated to finding safer, more effective treatments for children with cancer, by fundraising and supporting innovative science that accelerates the pace of progress and saves lives. For more information, visit http://www.kateamatofoundation.org/.
“We’re so incredibly grateful to this community for the outpouring of love and support, and the commitment to helping us build Kate’s legacy,” said Kate’s parents, Jeff and Lisa Amato. “It’s humbling and inspiring. Our favorite part of these events is seeing the smiles, joy and laughter because we know Kate is with us and her spirit lives on.”
