Hewlett Basketball’s annual donation efforts will hit a bit more close to home when they host the Rowyn Grace Classic on Jan. 10, an all-day event which benefits Rowyn Grace Welsh, a two-year-old with chronic kidney disease. She is also the youngest daughter of Hewlett assistant coach Jonathan Welsh.
The classic will be played in the High School’s gymnasium and include four games.
The girls teams will face Jericho High School, and the boys teams will square off against Long Beach High School—as the son of fellow assistant coach Brian Straub plays there. Junior varsity girls will tip-off at 10a.m, followed by the JV boys at 12p.m, varsity boys at 2p.m, and varsity girls at 4p.m. Each game will follow standard rules, with 8-minute quarters.
The school’s softball program, which Welsh took over in 2023, will be selling merchandise as well, with proceeds going directly to the family.
In addition to the effects on her kidneys, the two-year-old also suffers from a rare, life-altering mutation in her collagen type IV alpha 1 (COL4A1) gene—a mutation which weakens blood vessels.
During her battle, the two-year-old has endured multiple appointments at numerous hospitals, including Raleigh N.C’s Duke Children’s hospital, Stony Brook Medical Center, and now Columbia Children’s Hospital.
“Her body is essentially missing the ‘glue’ that holds her together.” Welsh said of her daughter’s condition. “This isn’t just a kidney issue anymore—it is a systemic threat that puts her at constant risk for internal bleeding and organ failure.”
Welsh and his wife Allyssa, moved to Charlotte North Carolina in 2017 to further their careers as educators. They had their eldest daughter Rhyan Jay in 2022, and Rowyn Grace followed in 2024. When they learned of their daughter’s disease, they made the decision to move back to New York, as the deep connections they have in the community make it “feel like home.”
The connection Welsh and his family feels would not be without the bond between his family and Hewlett basketball Head Coach Andy DeBernardo; The two have known each other for over two decades, and have been by each other’s side coaching the school’s baseball and basketball programs. So when DeBernardo was thinking of ideas for this year’s fundraiser, it was a no-brainer.
“It means a lot to give back to someone you know,” DeBernardo said. “He’s my boy. We’ve been through a lot together. He’s been with me forever.“
And the feeling was mutual for Welsh, saying that this opportunity would not be possible without DeBernardo’s efforts.
“Debo isn’t just a friend, he is family in every sense of the word that matters,” Welsh said. “He is one of the few people who has had a front row seat to our darkest days, seeing us at our most vulnerable and he never once looked away. He has stood by our side when we have felt our world crashing down.”
The basketball program will be assisted by the Michael Magro Foundation. Those interested in donating can visit michaelmagrofoundation.com/product/one-time-donation/ and include “RGC” in the notes section at checkout.
