The Kate Amato Foundation will conduct its fifth annual KATE KUP Triples Tennis Tournament on April 20 in Ponte Vedra Beach. All proceeds from this event will benefit the foundation, whose mission is to find safer, smarter and more effective treatments for children with cancer.
KATE KUP will kick off at 8 a.m. April 20 at The Yards in Sawgrass. This year, the tournament, which has grown each year in popularity, sold out player registration in a record-breaking 24 hours. This family-friendly spectator event offers free admission to the public while raising awareness and funds for pediatric cancer. Kate Amato Foundation and The Yards invite the community to come out and enjoy an entertaining day of triples tennis, delicious food from your favorite local restaurants, Taco Lu and Bearded Pig, a live DJ, a Wine & Beer Garden for the adults, Kid Zone activities including face painting, games and ice cream, an Awards After-Party and more.
“We are thrilled with the growth of KATE KUP,” said Jeff and Lisa Amato, foundation co-founders. “Each year the buzz keeps getting bigger and better than the year before, and our registration sell-out in less than 24 hours really solidified that. Our goal is to grow all signature KATE events and increase fundraising so we can improve outcomes for all kids with cancer. Only with the help of our community and generous companies and individuals can we make a meaningful impact in the fight against pediatric cancer.”
The Amatos of Jacksonville Beach lost their daughter Kate at the young age of 11 in November 2016 after a long and difficult battle with cancer.
Through her illness, Kate’s parents discovered how severely underfunded research is for pediatric cancer and witnessed first-hand the brutal effects of outdated, toxic treatments. To honor Kate’s life and continue the fight for other children, the Kate Amato Foundation was formed.
As part of their mission, the foundation awards grant funding to cutting-edge pediatric cancer research projects at some of the leading immunotherapy and cancer genomics research labs in the country, including Duke University, Texas Children’s Cancer Center/Baylor College of Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School. In four short years, the foundation has funded $575,000 in grants to support groundbreaking pediatric cancer research projects.
These grants are predominantly funded by KATE Signature events: KATE KUP Triples Tennis Tournament, KATE KLASSIC Golf Tournament and KATE KOMBO, which is a simultaneous golf and pickleball tournament. Additional foundation programs include KATE’S KINDNESS PROJECT, which provides immediate direct support to local children hospitalized with cancer, and KATE KLUB, a school-based program where children can get involved with fundraising events and activities.
In its short tenure, Kate Amato Foundation has gained a lot of community support and is receiving corporate support from their friends at Trailer Bridge who are hosting their own fundraising event to benefit the foundation, Rally for Kate, a charity golf tournament happening on April 5 at Ponte Vedra Inn & Club’s Ocean Course.
The Kate Amato Foundation has expressed gratitude to the sponsors whose generous support and commitment has helped make the KATE KUP Triple Tennis Tournament a success. Businesses and organizations are invited to support the mission to find safer, more innovative treatments for childhood cancer. Sponsorship packages are available at various levels, offering unique opportunities for brand visibility and community engagement.
To learn more about sponsorship opportunities go to https://kateamatofoundation.org/kate-kup.
To volunteer at the KATE KUP, go to https://kateamatofoundation.org/kate-kup-volunteers.
To donate to the Kate Amato Foundation or learn more, go to KateAmatoFoundation.org.
