Tennis tournament to honour Kate Kimberley
Tennis and art enthusiasts of Penticton lost a community champion early last year with the death of an inspired volunteer Kate Kimberley.
As a result, this year’s first women’s singles tournament will be the inaugural Kate Kimberley Memorial Cup.
The tournament is scheduled for this Sunday at the Penticton Tennis Club.
Thirteen Okanagan players will battle for first and second place in the A and B divisions. They will play up to seven sets of tennis before the winners are determined.
Sean Kimberley, Kate’s son, will present the trophies to the winners, and provide a framed print of Kate’s Okanagan painting called “New Beginnings” for all the participants.
Kate — a wife and mother of two —- lost her courageous battle with cancer on January 21, 2016.
Kate discovered landscape painting in retirement and took inspiration from Okanagan Falls, Naramata, and Wilson’s Landing.
She also championed the cause of tennis for Penticton. It’s with her longtime contribution to the Penticton Tennis Club in mind that the organization decided to honour her memory with a special day.
She was famous for her swinging volleys and appreciated for the hours of volunteer time she gave to the club.
Kate also had a “green thumb” that she shared with the club. The roses were beaming when Kate took care of them around the clubhouse.
The Penticton Tennis Club counts over 200 members playing tennis throughout the summer season.
The Kate Kimberley Memorial Tennis Tournament is the second tournament held at the club this Year.
“Kate is in our hearts and minds every day,” said tournament organizer Aileen Houston. “This First Annual Kate Kimberley Memorial Cup will be a special day for us to remember all that Kate brought to our lives and our tennis club.”