Lynbrook Owls, East Rockaway Rocks face off in friendship games

The Owls and the Rocks took center stage on the basketball court at East Rockaway Junior-Senior High School in the annual friendship games on Dec. 21.

In front of hundreds of supporters, the boys’ and girls’ junior varsity and varsity teams tipped off in four separate games. In addition to the competition on the court, hundreds of toys were donated for the holiday season, and money was raised to support senior scholarships for both schools.

Kyle Barth served as captain for the Rocks boys’ varsity team, while John Donnarumma led the Owls. Kayleigh Statler was Lynbrook’s girls’ varsity team captain, while Hunter Vertuccio and Riley O’Hagan were co-captains for East Rockaway. The event began with the boys’ junior varsity game, followed by girls’ JV, boys’ varsity and girls’ varsity contests.

The annual friendship game brings the community together to support the Gregg’s Wings Foundation toy drive, with each player donating a toy for children at NYU Winthrop’s Cancer Center for Kids. The organization was founded by the family of Gregg Kienke, who died from cancer just weeks after he was born, and strives to provide hope and healing for those diagnosed with childhood cancer.