SAN DIEGO - JUNE 1, 2026

GOVX Partners with Manly Bands and Vortex Optics to Raise Over $64,460 for wear blue: run to remember

“GOVX understands that strong communities are built through connection, purpose, and shared commitment. wear blue is grateful for their partnership, which enables us to create powerful spaces to honor, remember, and belong, including the Tribute wear blue Mile. Together, we are building stronger, healthier support systems for military members, veterans, and surviving families.”

-Lisa Hallet, wear blue: run to remember CEO and Co-Founder

GOVX, the online shopping platform exclusively for current and former military, first responders, emergency medical professionals, and other government personnel is honored to announce its most recent monthly donation through the GOVX Gives Back program. This latest donation – $64,461.00 – was provided to the non-profit organization, wear blue: run to remember. Generated by the support of the GOVX community, this donation was the product of multi-pronged effort combining proceeds of $44,461.00 from orders placed through GOVX.com, and generous supplementary donation matches of $10,000 each from Manly Bands, the industry-leading accessories brand and Vortex Optics, the award-winning sports optics manufacturer.


The mission of wear blue: run to remember is to honor the service and sacrifice of the American military. The non-profit organization unites and supports military members, veterans, Gold Star families, and civilians through active remembrance, meaningful relationships, and community-based movement. Recently, the organization partnered with GOVX for this year’s 2026 GOVX Half Marathon and 5K hosting a Circle of Remembrance ceremony during the pre-race festivities.


“GOVX understands that strong communities are built through connection, purpose, and shared commitment,” said Lisa Hallet, wear blue: run to remember CEO and Co-Founder. “wear blue is grateful for their partnership, which enables us to create powerful spaces to honor, remember, and belong, including the Tribute wear blue Mile. Together, we are building stronger, healthier support systems for military members, veterans, and surviving families.”


GOVX’s monthly donation is part of the ongoing GOVX Gives Back charitable initiative, raising funds for non-profits serving the military and first responder community. Through the program, a portion of the proceeds from every single order made through GOVX.com are donated to that month’s non-profit organization.

"True gratitude requires action, and that is exactly what wear blue: run to remember represents," said Alan Cole, GOVX CEO. “We are incredibly proud to contribute alongside Manly Bands and Vortex Optics to an organization that provides so much support to our Gold Star families and the military community at large.”


About GovX

GOVX is dedicated to serving those who serve our country and communities – military service members, first responders, law enforcement officers, emergency medical professionals, and other government service personnel. With a customizable suite of solutions, GOVX provides leading brands who share in this mission with a unique opportunity to support this deserving audience. Through the flagship marketplace, GOVX.com, brands can authentically reach a growing community of 12M+ members with their own storefront. More than 2K trusted brands currently have a storefront on GOVX.com, offering unbeatable deals to those who serve. With the proprietary verification app, GOVX ID, brands can easily enable service member discounts within the checkout flow of their own sites. More than 5K brands currently utilize GOVX ID technology to honor service members. By leveraging GOVX marketing services solutions, brands can effectively amplify their products or services within an engaged and exclusive community and reinforce their support for Americans who make a difference.


In addition to providing unmatched value to those who serve, GOVX also donates a portion of every order to non-profits who serve the military and first responder community. To date, over $3M has been donated through the GOVX Gives Back initiative. For more information, visit https://www.govx.com.


ABOUT WEAR BLUE: RUN TO REMEMBER

wear blue is a running community that honors the service and sacrifice of the American military. Through their efforts, they unite active-duty service members and their families, Veterans, Gold Star families, and civilians by way of active remembrance and meaningful relationships. Together, they motivate and empower individuals to live a healthier, more inspired life. To learn more or make a donation, visit https://www.wearblueruntoremember.org/.


ABOUT MANLY BANDS

Manly Bands, founded in 2016, is a leading online retailer of men’s wedding rings, known for bold, unique designs using materials like meteorite, whiskey barrel wood, and dinosaur bone. They offer officially licensed collections from brands like Jack Daniel’s and Lord of the Rings, emphasizing craftsmanship and authenticity. To learn more or shop their products, visit https://manlybands.com.


ABOUT VORTEX OPTICS

Vortex Optics is one of the leading sports optics manufacturers. They produce a complete line of meticulously designed rifle scopes, prism scopes, binoculars, spotting scopes, rangefinders, and other optical accessories. They pride themselves on serving exceptional products, a second-to-none VIP warranty, and top-level service that exceeds expectations. To shop Vortex, visit www.vortexoptics.com.


CHRIS BOHNERT - CPO

Chris joined GOVX in 2015, bringing more than 15 years of product, marketing and general management experience in the consumer internet space. As head of Product at GOVX, Chris leads product management, design and business intelligence for the entire product portfolio.


Chris began his career at Active Network in 2002 and helped grow the company from start-up to a successful IPO in 2011. During his time at Active Network, Chris managed several teams and product-lines, including the flagship media property, Active.com and the eCommerce division.


In 2012, Chris joined Takelessons, an online education marketplace matching students with qualified teachers. As VP of Product and Technology, he led a cross-functional team, including engineering, product management and design.


Chris earned a BA from the University of Arizona and an MBA from San Diego State University.

ADAM HOMZE - VP ENGINEERING

Adam joined GOVX in 2014 as the Vice President of Software Development and is responsible for leading the software development group, how our applications are built, and scaling the GOVX tech stack.


Since 2005, Adam has actively participated in the growth phase of several startups; holding multiple technical and leadership positions. Over that time, he has developed a wide range of skills to tackle the challenges inherent in building technology companies.


Adam earned a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of California, San Diego.

AARON PELANDER - CHIEF BRAND OFFICER

As the leader of the Brand Marketing team at GOVX, Aaron is responsible for crafting and executing a comprehensive brand strategy that supports GOVX’s business goals and mission. Working closely with the wider marketing and creative teams, Aaron brings the GOVX identity to life through creative storytelling, consistent brand messaging, strategic marketing channel investments, impactful partnerships and sponsorships, and alignment with key non-profit organizations, all aimed at increasing GOVX brand awareness and recall.


Before joining GOVX in 2014, Aaron held senior marketing and management roles at the Active Network and Provide Commerce. He earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Arizona and his MBA from San Diego State University.

CAROL SCHNUGG - CFO

Carol serves as Chief Financial Officer for GOVX and oversees all financial, accounting and administrative matters for the Company as well as negotiating and administrating Brand-Partners’ wholesale pricing. Prior to joining GOVX, she served as Controller for Billabong’s Sector 9 company, where she oversaw its acquisition by Billabong and was recruited to oversee all financial and accounting matters along with managing its e-commerce site.


Carol previously owned and operated her own accounting and tax practice and was an accountant with Deloitte & Touche.


Carol received a B.S. in finance from San Diego State University and is a Certified Public Accountant.

ALAN COLE - CEO/PRESIDENT

Alan began his career as co-founder and President of DELTYME Corporation, a San Diego-based web services firm working with national clients including Target, Cisco Systems, Costco and Garden Fresh.


After stepping away from an operating role at DELTYME, Alan attended business school at the University of Texas with a focus on entrepreneurial management. During his time in Austin he took on due diligence responsibilities at Gefinor Ventures (an early stage venture firm) and worked in marketing and business development roles in several Austin-area startups including Convio and Metreos.


Alan ultimately moved back to San Diego to join Active Network, where he held executive responsibility for the company's $50M Media + Marketing division. After six years with Active Network, Alan moved on to serve as COO of TakeLessons, an online education marketplace connecting students with qualified teachers. In late 2016, Alan joined GOVX as CEO.

Alan holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from Santa Clara University and an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin.