Guests and participants mingle before the Joey Gratton Championship

The VIP Sponsor Party for the Joey Gratton Championship at the Bath & Racquet Fitness Club on April 7 was bittersweet for Kim Gratton. 

The two-day Joey Gratton Championship, now in its fourth year, is a tennis tournament put on by the Joey Gratton Foundation and benefits the Boys and Girls Club of Sarasota County 

Joey Gratton died in 2011 at age 59. The foundation was created to honor his dedication to youth sports and advancement. 

"Of course, we miss him, but this is absolutely fantastic," Kim Gratton, Joey Gratton's sister, said as sponsors and patrons filed into the reception. 

The funds generated from the two days of play will give local youth access to programs and services at all five Boys & Girls Clubs across Sarasota County. 

"We love it keeping my dad's name alive with something so powerful," Joey Gratton's son Blake Gratton said. "It's awesome."