At Digi, we’re constantly working to reinforce our Cultural Imperatives and to grow together as a team. For 30 years, Digi International has hosted an annual company event, in our headquarters location of Minnesota, with the help of Digi team members and sponsorship support from Digi partners, to raise money for deserving causes that make a difference in our communities. We join together to give to the community, at a local and a global level. This year the event exceeded all hopes and expectations by raising over $50,000 for three great organizations.
Of Mulligans and Money
What better way to raise funds for a great cause than to get out on a golf green on a gorgeous summer day and have some fun?
The annual Digi Wormburner event is organized by an amazing group of Digi team members who find creative ways to encourage fundraising — everything from team registration to entering drawings to purchasing mulligans for those times when you just really want a do-over. Everyone gets in the game, including Digi's sales and distribution partners and suppliers.
This year, Digi President and CEO Ron Konezny and CFO Jamie Loch went head-to-head in a competition to see who could raise more funds.
Located at two different locations across the Crystal Lake Golf Course in Lakeville, Minnesota, the two gentleman pulled out all the stops in a highly entertaining bid to generate the most funds. We're not saying who won. But their friendly competition and stellar efforts paid off.
Between contributions, prize drawings and a considerable amount of cajoling and cheering of teams as they arrived in their golf carts to putt and drive, Digi helped to secure a total dollar amount for the fundraiser at a record breaking $50,535.
This final tally dramatically increased the total donation for the three recipient organizations beyond the amount on the symbolic checks they were presented at the event.
Meet the 2021 Wormburner Fundraiser Recipients
Each year the Digi Wormburner committee selects some extraordinary organizations that make a difference for families and youth. Our fundraising recipients reflect Digi's passion for advancing equity and serving our communities.
Here are our three recipients for 2021.
INROADS
INROADS is a non-profit organization devoted to supporting the path to a career for ethnically diverse high school and college students across the U.S. The organization "envisions a world where leaders enrich the composition and culture of business and social communities through diversity and inclusion."
From career and readiness programs for high school students to internships and job placement support, INROADS provides coaching, mentoring, career workshops and community service, and supports college graduates in advancing their careers. Additionally, the organization helps employers to foster diverse and inclusive workplaces.
You can learn more about INROADS on their
website, including their
college links,
internships and
donate pages.
Northside Achievement Zone
Northside Achievement Zone (NAZ) is a long-standing community organization in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. Based in the economically challenged North Minneapolis area, NAZ has a mission to "permanently close the achievement gap and end generational poverty in North Minneapolis."
The organization's commitment to improving outcomes for kids and families involves complete "wrap around services" to ensure families have the support needed to create an environment for learning and achievement. To accomplish this goal, NAZ partners with many different organizations, and provides supporting services starting in childhood.
You can learn more about NAZ at their
Who We Are,
What We Do, and
Donate pages, as well as other informational pages on their site.
Cookie Cart
Cookie Cart is a long-standing organization with a rich history in the Minneapolis area spanning over 30 years. The organization is devoted to providing a safe and nurturing environment for kids aged 15 to 18 to gain job skills, earn income and prepare for the working world.
Originally launched by Sister Jean Thuerauf in 1988, Cookie Cart has worked tirelessly to train young people in the soft skills and hard skills of business and leadership needed to succeed. Hundreds of local teens are employed annually, logging an inspiring 45,000 hours of work in a given year, where they obtain job experience and job readiness training in customer service, financial literacy, leadership and more.
You can read more about Cookie Cart on the
About Cookie Cart page, as well as their
Get Involved and
Donate pages.
Sponsor Shout-Outs
Any major fundraising event requires the dedication, kindness and support of many. The annual Digi Wormburner fundraiser is no exception. Hats off to our extended Digi team, the external sales and distribution partners and suppliers, who sponsor the event at various levels, and can even sponsor a specific hole on the green with some special visibility and recognition. These organizations helped to make the 30th annual Digi Wormburner event a huge success.
In alphabetical order:
Thank you, sponsors! We truly appreciate your amazing support! Together we made a difference.
A Big Thank You to Our Volunteers
Behind the scenes of every major successful event is a dedicated team, giving their all to manage the details so that the actual event goes smoothly. From goodie bags and Digi swag to event communications, signage, registration, a fantastic buffet dinner and prizes, Digi's volunteer team did an amazing job of creating a fun-filled, memory-making day. Thank you to our amazing volunteer team for all that you give!
Golf Team Gallery
At the annual Digi Wormburner fundraiser, team members from the executive team, engineering, sales and marketing, human resources, customer service, technical support and supply chain all come together to form golf teams and have fun.
The 30th annual Wormburner was extra special in this regard. There was an extra dose of frenetic energy at Wormburner 2021, as most Digi staff are still working remotely and we do not have the chance to come together as often as we would like. Several suppliers and distributors joined the event as well! With team names like "Mulligan's Island," "Weapons of Grass Destruction," "Fairway to Heaven," and "Life of the Par-Tee," you know these people were out for some fun.
In no particular order, here is a collection of team photos.
Want to learn more about Digi? Visit our
About Digi page, our
Iot Products and Services page, or our
Global Events page. You can also find more on our
IoT thought leadership blog and on our
LinkedIn Jobs page. Digi is hiring!
Or get in touch on our
Contact Us page.