A Family’s Tribute Turns into a Powerful Fundraiser

In an extraordinary display of dedication, heart, and hoop talent, sisters Sophie and Emma Zirkin—2 standout high school basketball players from Maryland—turned their grief into action by shooting 10,000 3-pointers to raise funds for lung cancer research. The effort, which honored their grandmother who passed away from lung cancer, became a moving tribute, raising money for GO2 for Lung Cancer. 

Over the course of 36 hours, the Zirkins, alongside their father, former Maryland State Senator Bobby Zirkin, shot thousands of 3-pointers, both live and online, culminating in a finale at Capital One Arena just before a Washington Wizards game. With WNBA MVP superstar Elena Delle Donne rebounding for the girls, along with support from University of Maryland women’s basketball coach Brenda Frese and former Governor Larry Hogan, the event became a community-powered moment of inspiration and awareness. 

Sophie, who will play for Dickinson College next year, closed out the event by sinking 8 out of 10 shots from the Wizards logo. The family’s passion and determination are a testament to the power of sport, community, and remembrance in the lung cancer community. 

We connected with Bobby Zirkin, who shared the background on how they conceptualized and executed this DIY fundraising event.  

What inspired your family to create the 3-point challenge?
It all started after my mom passed away from lung cancer. About a year later, my oldest daughter, Sophie, was preparing for her Bat Mitzvah and wanted to do a Mitzvah project in her grandmother’s memory. She found GO2 for Lung Cancer and decided to shoot 1,000 basketball shots on Facebook Live to raise money. It was cold and rainy, but our friends showed up to rebound, and we made it work. The response was incredible. Fast forward to Sophie’s senior year when she became Maryland’s all-time leading high school 3-point shooter and one of the best in the country. That sparked a family conversation about turning the initial fundraiser into something bigger.  

How does the challenge work, and how did you come up with the format?
The original idea was simple: invite people from anywhere to go live on social media, take basketball shots, and raise money for lung cancer research. We hoped to inspire players nationwide to participate in their own communities. While that broad reach is tough to execute, we’ve learned a lot and are planning ways to build more structure, like creating a small team or advisory group to help scale it from the ground up.  

Have you seen any ripple effects in your community since the challenge launched?
Absolutely. We’ve received a lot of feedback and engagement, especially through social media. I have a wide network from my time in office, and sharing the events on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram helped raise awareness. We also had incredible support from major organizations like the Washington Wizards and the University of Maryland, which brought even more visibility. 

What role has basketball played in your family’s lives?
Basketball runs deep in our family, 3 generations strong. My dad is 83 and still plays. I play and coach, and my daughters are incredibly involved. Emma was a varsity starter as a freshman, and Sophie will play for Dickinson. During COVID, when everything shut down, we had access to an unused gym through a client, and we played together daily. It brought us even closer. 

What’s next for the challenge?
We’re already brainstorming the next steps. This year’s event was a huge success—we got access to an NBA court, worked with the Wizards’ full staff, and even had 2-time WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne participate. Now, we want to expand to more locations, engage more people, and coordinate more fundraising events. With the connections we’ve made and the infrastructure now in place, we’re ready to grow this into something much bigger. 

What advice would you give someone who wants to start a similar event in their community?
Start simple. Sophie did this at 13 years old by going live on Facebook and shooting in our driveway. Anyone can do that. You don’t need a big production—just a ball, a hoop, and a cause you care about. From there, it can grow. 

Anything else you’d like to add?
The team at GO2 for Lung Cancer was amazing in helping us build out the infrastructure, especially the website. Now that we’ve done the hard part, we’re set up to keep this going and growing. We’re excited about what’s next.