Number of Participants: 15
Hours Donated: 3
Value of Time Served: $1,566
Event Type: Children & Youth
Activity: Boys Basketball
School: George W Hewlett High School
Date: January 14, 2026
Location:
George W Hewlett High School
Everit Avenue, Hewlett
NY
About:
Hewlett boys basketball assistant coach Jonathon Welsh stood at a podium on the Bulldogs’ home court on Saturday. On his right, lined up along the sideline, was the Hewlett varsity softball team he coaches, standing alongside the boys basketball team. On his left stood his wife, Allyssa, as Welsh detailed the tragic circumstances that befell the family.
At the couple’s 20-week ultrasound, they were told that their baby, Rowyn Grace, had a kidney that was three times bigger than usual. The doctors were unsure why.
“If you’re a parent, you know the silence in the ultrasound room when the technician stops talking, it’s frightening,” Welsh told the crowd.
They learned Rowyn Grace was dealing with a pediatric kidney disease and a mutation of her COL4A1 gene, which impacts the strength of the blood vessels in the brain, eyes and kidneys. It’s a rare mutation that Welsh was told affects fewer than 1,000 people worldwide.
Now 2 years old, Rowyn Grace and her family have experienced more stress and fear than anyone should endure. On Saturday, the Hewlett community made sure the Welsh family wouldn’t bear that weight alone.
The first Rowyn Grace Classic saw Hewlett win, 77-59, over Long Beach in a non-league boys’ basketball game. It marked the third of four games — with boys and girls JV teams playing earlier and the girls varsity basketball team playing afterward — in an all-day fundraising event for The Michael Magro Foundation.
A Hicksville-based organization, The Michael Magro Foundation, has supported the Welsh family and others who are battling cancer and other pediatric illnesses.
“It takes a village to go through something like this,” Welsh told Newsday. “Our daughters sit behind our bench at almost every single game; they run the bases during softball games. They love it, they love to see Dad working and my wife has been super supportive.”
The softball team, which sold concessions and raffle tickets, plans to host another fundraiser for Rowyn Grace on April 24 and April 25 at Farmingdale State.
“Obviously we care a lot about our coach, we care about his daughter, we care about the cause overall,” senior Miranda Ospina said. “It’s not something we felt obligated or forced to do. We just like to help.”
