Hoops for Hope Raises $3,000 to Honor Jennifer Granek

To know Jennifer Granek is to love her, so it was no surprise when her nephews and a close family friend decided to honor her by organizing a friendly basketball tournament to benefit people also recovering from brain injuries.

Jennifer suffered a head injury in an ATV accident in Costa Rica while celebrating her 40th birthday last October. Her nephews (and brothers), Benjamin and Logan Suffel, and the Granek’s friend, Dylan Zukerberg, created Hoops for Hope on her behalf because she is known for her athleticism, her fun competitive spirit and her love of helping others.

They raised $3,000 and donated the money to three different programs. One of them is the Coma Emergence Program at Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital, where Jennifer is slowly recovering.

On a recent Wednesday afternoon, the boys, their moms, Jennifer Granek’s husband, Brian, and other family members and friends were at Levindale to present a check for $958.

Amy Liu, the manager of rehabilitation at Levindale’s Specialty Hospital, shared her gratitude that the young men chose the Coma Emergence Program. She explained that the funds will be used for the long-term needs of those recovering from comas.

In addition to the Levindale donation, the Brain Injury Association of Maryland and TeamJen also received funds.

Hoops for Hope was the boys’ mitzvah project. Many Jewish schools encourage their students to spearhead projects designed to help others before their bar and bat mitzvahs.

**Photos by Esky Cook