Photo: Gregory Shamus/Getty
DETROIT, April 7, 2021 ~ In a press release, Rocket Mortgage Classic announced that they expect to gather more than $1 million through fan engagements and returning activities at their famous three holes dubbed “AREA 313.”
The event, which is part of the Changing the Course initiative, aims to make the stretch of holes “The Most Charitable Three Holes in Golf.”
Initiatives include a dollar-for-dollar matched donation from Priority Health with a minimum pledge of $313. There will also be an automatic $313,000 donation made in the name of the first player to score a 3 on hole 14, a hole-in-one on hole 15, and a 3 on hole 16, scoring a 3-1-3 along the trio cumulatively over the four days of the tournament.
Read the complete release below, or read even more at PGATour.com/tournaments/rocket-mortgage-classic.
***
Rocket Mortgage Classic’s AREA 313 to Become “The Most Charitable Three Holes in Golf”
PGA TOUR event’s 2021 goal is to raise more than $1 million through various programming at AREA 313 to support the Changing the Course digital equity initiative.
Fans can support the cause and have their images prominently displayed on-course by donating to the new “Faces of AREA 313 Presented by Priority Health” program. Donations will be matched by Priority Health, which has pledged $50,000 to the initiative.
Additional fundraising efforts include the AREA 313 Celebrity Scramble and the AREA 313 Challenge presented by Rocket Mortgage the during professional tournament.
DETROIT – The Rocket Mortgage Classic today announced that it expects to raise more than $1 million through fan engagements and returning initiatives at its highly-acclaimed three-hole stretch, AREA 313, as part of a larger fundraising effort to support the tournament’s multi-year Changing the Course initiative to end the digital divide in Detroit. AREA 313 already has established itself as one of the most entertaining trio of holes on the PGA TOUR, and now the event aims to make them “The Most Charitable Three Holes in Golf.”
“All proceeds raised through AREA 313 will be directed to the multi-year Changing the Course initiative, and these contributions will be invested into organizations and infrastructure that seek to end the digital divide and offer digital connectivity for all Detroit residents,” said Jason Langwell, Executive Director of the Rocket Mortgage Classic. “We are unconditionally committed to Changing the Course, as it is vital for us to support our local community and provide necessary technology, digital access, digital literacy and educational training for Detroiters now and in the future.”
The Rocket Mortgage Classic, the first PGA TOUR event ever held within the city of Detroit, will return to Detroit Golf Club June 28-July 4. AREA 313, named in honor of Detroit’s famed area code, is comprised of the 555-yard par-5 14th hole, the 160-yard par-3 15th hole and the 446-yard par-4 16th hole, and serves as the epicenter of fan activity during the tournament.
“We are proud to make AREA 313 the most charitable three holes in golf, though the real gratification comes from the lives we will be able to impact together,” said Jay Farner, CEO of Rocket Mortgage. “The digital divide is a glaring, systemic issue in Rocket Companies’ hometown of Detroit, and we hope that our efforts will eventually make Detroit a model for digital inclusion that can be replicated nationwide. Everyone deserves the ability to learn virtually, visit online job boards, access telemedicine and take advantage of the opportunities equitable access to technology provides.”
This year, AREA 313 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic offers three unique ways for anyone to pledge their support and donate toward Changing the Course.
New to the Rocket Mortgage Classic in 2021 is the “Faces of AREA 313 Presented by Priority Health” program. It will enable companies and community members to pledge $313 or more for their face, that of a fellow fan, first responder, frontline worker or loved one lost from the COVID-19 pandemic to be prominently displayed on an electronic videoboard or along the hospitality structures within AREA 313. Each donation will be matched dollar for dollar by Priority Health, which has pledged $50,000 to the initiative. Faces are available to purchase by visiting RocketMortgageClassic.com, and each purchase is accompanied by a ticket that allows fans access to the event Monday, June 28 and Tuesday, June 29.
The Rocket Mortgage Classic tournament staff is working with government and health officials, as well as with the PGA TOUR, to finalize health and safety plans that aim to have fans returning to the 2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic. More details will be announced at a later date.
The Rocket Mortgage Classic will also bring back its popular AREA 313 Celebrity Scramble, which was recognized by the PGA TOUR as the “Best Special Event” across all its tournaments during its 2018-19 season. On Tuesday, June 29, the three-hole charitable exhibition will pair select professional golfers playing in the Rocket Mortgage Classic with celebrity athletes and entertainers. This year, the event allows for corporate partners of the tournament to donate to sponsor the teams participating in the AREA 313 Celebrity Scramble. Each team sponsor can also arrange VIP access for an executive or client to play the event and walk inside the ropes alongside the pros and celebrities from holes 14-16.
Finally, the Rocket Mortgage Classic continues its tradition of pledging donations to the community through the AREA 313 Challenge during the tournament’s 156-player professional competition over 72 holes from Thursday, July 1-Sunday, July 4. Anyone can make a flat donation toward the AREA 313 Challenge by visiting the AREA 313 Challenge webpage (under the ‘TOURNAMENT INFO’ tab) at RocketMortgageClassic.com and clicking on the red “DONATE” button.
The PGA TOUR professionals participating in the Rocket Mortgage Classic also will be playing for a chance to score big for Changing the Course, thanks to the contribution of the host organization, Rocket Mortgage. The first player to score a 3 on Hole 14 (an eagle), a hole-in-one on Hole 15, and a 3 on Hole 16 (a birdie) – scoring a 3-1-3 along that stretch – cumulatively over the four days of tournament play will trigger a $313,000 donation made in his name and split between a charity of the golfer’s choice and the Connect 313 Fund, in support of Changing the Course.
Additionally, for each 3 made on hole 14, Rocket Mortgage will supply $5,000 to Changing the Course, while any 1 made on hole 15 will trigger a $10,000 donation and any 3 made on hole 16 will result in a $5,000 contribution. Last year, thanks to 15 eagles made on the 14th hole and 63 birdies made on the 16th, the company’s donation totaled $385,000.
The 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic, in partnership with title sponsor Rocket Mortgage, generated more than $2.7 million in proceeds for nonprofits through the Rocket Giving Fund, the 501(c)(3) host organization of the tournament, with more than $2.4 million invested into Changing the Course. The goal of raising $1 million through AREA 313 programming this year is part of a larger effort that hopes to match or exceed last year’s giving total.
Through the Changing the Course initiative, the Rocket Giving Fund disbursed $2.1 million to the Connect 313 Fund, developed in advance of last year’s tournament by the Rocket Mortgage Classic in partnership with the City of Detroit and the United Way for Southeastern Michigan – with additional engagement from community, philanthropic and business stakeholders.
The Connect 313 Fund is rooted in the City’s digital inclusion strategy and is a coordinating mechanism for all digital inclusion stakeholders driving collectively toward the singular vision of bridging the digital divide. In addition to coordinating a city-wide, data-driven digital inclusion strategy, the Connect 313 Fund will make investments into Detroit-based nonprofit partners to increase access to technology, internet and digital literacy resources.
