Rocket Mortgage Classic raises money to bridge Detroit's digital divide
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Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
This year's Rocket Mortgage Classic gave fans a thrilling finish on Sunday, but tournament organizers expect its impact in the city to continue year-round.
- Bridging the city's digital divide is the tournament's signature charitable cause.
The big picture: Access to the internet and digital devices is a citywide priority, with about 220,000 residents who are at or below the poverty line.
- Mayor Mike Duggan appointed a new digital equity director last year and, in February, the city opened eight tech hubs with free WiFi.
State of play: The Rocket Mortgage Classic has contributed $4.3 million since 2019 to its "Changing the Course" initiative, which provides residents with high-speed internet, digital devices and digital training.
The latest: This year's Area 313 Challenge raised more than $200,000 in donations, triggered when golfers scored birdies or better on holes 14, 15, and 16.
- Total contributions from last weekend's tournament will be announced once the books are closed later this year.
What they're saying: "This tournament is about more than golf," Rocket Mortgage CEO Varun Krishna said on CBS during the final round.
- "It's about raising awareness and funds to bridge the digital divide," he said. "We've still got some work to do but this is a very strong moment of pride for us."
Zoom in: Human-I-T, a discount computer store near the Avenue of Fashion, celebrated its first anniversary in June with support from the Rocket Community Fund.
- Human-I-T is a nonprofit that opened its first e-waste processing facility in the Los Angeles area.
- The store on 7 Mile has five employees and offers low-cost devices, monthly internet plans and digital training. Since opening, Human-I-T has sold 320 computers and 220 accessories, Jennifer Jambor, Human-I-T's senior manager of partnerships, tells Axios.