Rocket Mortgage announced on Thursday that through its partnership with the PGA Tour and The Rocket Mortgage Classic, it raised more than $1.35 million in last year’s tournament.

The golf tournament and its sponsors have a mission to end Detroit’s “Digital Divide” in which a large number of Detroit residents do not have adequate internet access. Rocket Companies Inc (NYSE:RKT) is the parent company of Rocket Mortgage. 

The COVID-19 pandemic brought further light to the issue of the digital divide, with many residents unable to work from home and keep up with an increasingly online world. In 2020, roughly 40% of Detroit households had internet. Today, in large part due to Rocket Mortgage’s efforts, that number is about 68%.

“It is our passion to use the Rocket Giving Fund as a force for change and an opportunity to bridge Detroit’s digital divide,” said Jay Farner, CEO of Rocket Companies and the the chairman of the Rocket Giving Fund.

“The success of Changing the Course is measured by the number of Detroit families who are now able to access the internet as well as the brighter future digital inclusion provides.

Rocket Mortgage Classic's “Changing The Course” initiative tackles the issue of access to high-speed internet. More than $800,000 of the $1.3 million raised went directly to community partners supporting the initiative. 

The majority of the money raised went to the Connect 313 Fund, developed by the Rocket Mortgage Classic in partnership with the City of Detroit, Microsoft and the United Way for Southeastern Michigan. The Connect 313 Fund helps families access the internet and get discounts on tablets and computers. 

Last September, Rocket Mortgage announced it was extending its title sponsorship of the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit through 2027. 

Photo Courtesy: Rocket Morgage Classic via Getty Images.