Rocket Mortgage Classic To Focus On Detroit Digital Access

Rocket Mortgage Classic To Focus On Detroit Digital Access In Wake Of Gap Exposed By The Covid 19 Pandemic

The Rocket Mortgage Classic and sponsor Rocket Mortgage has launched a new “Changing The Course” initiative to ensure that every Detroit resident has access, and the ability to use the internet within five years. The Rocket Giving Fund, the 501(c)3 that organizes and presents the tournament, will invest funds in organizations and infrastructure that seek to ensure 5G internet technology becomes available across Detroit.

The initiative was made necessary by the digital divide exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Detroit currently ranks as the least connected city (100k+ households) in America.

As we witnessed the heartbreaking toll that COVID-19 has had on our city, we knew we had to use the Rocket Mortgage Classic as a driver of lasting change. In talking to leaders and partners throughout the city, the issue of internet accessibility always came back to the top.  Kids are falling behind because they can’t get to school, parents cannot search for jobs, and families were unable to get needed telemedicine. Detroiters deserve better.

“Addressing this systemic, generational issue that Detroiters have been facing since the inception of the internet, is the kind of greater mission we targeted the moment we learned that the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic was moving forward. We thank our community partners and key leaders who have assisted us in honing our strategy to make a tangible impact for the better.

– Jay Farner, CEO of Rocket Mortgage by Quicken Loans

This is a good initiative.

As a public school teacher, I can testify to the digital divide that exists, not just in Detroit, but throughout the metro area. Once the schools shut down, learning for many students across the region came to a screeching halt.

Access to education should not be dependent upon a family’s income or zip code.

Perhaps the Changing the Course initiative could be expanded to include other worthy communities in the metro Detroit region. Detroit digital access should not be the end of the story.

Changing the Course is a continuation of the Rock Family of Companies’ commitment toward technological initiatives and digital innovation. The Quicken Loans Community Fund and Gilbert Family Foundation recently partnered with the Detroit Public Schools’ for the “Connected Futures Project,” aiming to provide all enrolled DPSCD students with tablets and internet access. All technology used by the Rock Family of Companies gets recycled through Human IT, which redistributes it to Detroit organizations and family who needs it. The Quicken Loans Community Fund has also invested and provided skill-based volunteer opportunities for team members to help 100 small businesses stand up website or grow their online presence during the COVID-19 pandemic.