SAN DIEGO - JULY 27, 2026

GOVX Partners with Darn Tough to Donate Over 4,000 Pairs of Socks to the Veterans Village of San Diego

“We’re proud to partner with GOVX on initiatives that make a meaningful difference for the military and first responder community. Providing this cruise vacation was a wonderful way to help support Hire Heroes USA’s important mission while giving one deserving firefighter and their family the opportunity to create lasting memories together.”

-Christopher Ivy, CEO of Margaritaville at Sea

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 – $18,001.00 – was provided to the veteran employment non-profit organization, Hire Heroes USA. Generated by the support of the GOVX community, this donation-driven campaign awarded one GOVX member and their family the opportunity to win a 7-Night Margaritaville at Sea cruise package aboard the Islander ship for up to four guests.


The contest, which was active from May 1st to June 30th, granted GOVX members the chance to earn entries through $20, $40, $50, and $75 donations made directly to Hire Heroes USA. The grand prize winner, a current GOVX member and United States firefighter was announced on July 6th.


“We’re proud to partner with GOVX on initiatives that make a meaningful difference for the military and first responder community. Providing this cruise vacation was a wonderful way to help support Hire Heroes USA’s important mission while giving one deserving firefighter and their family the opportunity to create lasting memories together,” said Christopher Ivy, CEO of Margaritaville at Sea. “As our relationship with GOVX continues to grow, we’re honored to recognize those who serve through programs like Heroes Sail Free, with exclusive year-round savings, dedicated Heroes Salute on every sailing, and through new experiences

The full donation supports Hire Heroes USA's mission to empower transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses to succeed in the civilian workforce through personalized career coaching and support.


"We're incredibly grateful to GOVX and Margaritaville at Sea for creating such an engaging way to support the military community," said Sarah Ragone, Director of Corporate Partnerships at Hire Heroes USA. "Partnerships like this help ensure transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses have access to the personalized career coaching and resources they need to build meaningful civilian careers. We're thankful to everyone who participated and helped make this campaign a success."


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.


“Transitioning back into civilian life presents real challenges, which is why the work Hire Heroes USA does is essential,” said Alan Cole, GOVX CEO. “We're proud to align with Margaritaville at Sea to drive meaningful contributions for such a worthy and inspiring cause.”


GOVX is honored to assist our nation’s finest non-profit organizations through every single order placed through GOVX.com. To support GOVX Gives Back’s charitable initiatives and learn more, visit https://www.govx.com/t/govx-gives-back.


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 Margaritaville at Sea 

Margaritaville at Sea brings Margaritaville’s iconic hospitality to the open ocean for a one-of-a-kind offshore vacation experience. The cruise line’s maiden vessel, the Margaritaville at Sea Paradise, offers easy-breezy getaways from Palm Beach to Grand Bahama Island, while the new flagship vessel, the Margaritaville at Sea Islander, sails out of Port Tampa Bay on four- and five-night adventures to Key West and Mexico. Guests aboard Margaritaville at Sea can relax and unwind in comfort, featuring a range of fully redesigned suites, and balcony, ocean view and interior staterooms dressed in nautical details and colors inspired by the sea, sand, and sky.


The ships also feature numerous inclusive and specialty dining restaurants centered around chef-crafted, island-inspired cuisine, uniquely themed bars and lounges that provide non-stop live entertainment paired with premium cocktails, kids’ clubs and arcades, the action-packed Margaritaville Casino, the St. Somewhere Spa & Salon, multiple pools, hot tubs, and plenty of quiet spaces to soak up the Caribbean sun. Sail away to an island state of mind at www.margaritavilleatsea.com/.


ABOUT GORUCK

Hire Heroes USA is a national nonprofit that empowers transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses to succeed in the civilian workforce. Through one-on-one personalized support, expert guidance, and practical employment resources, Hire Heroes USA provides free, lifelong career services designed to help clients build meaningful civilian careers. Since 2005, more than 120,000 Hire Heroes USA clients have secured employment and advanced their careers. Learn more at Home | Hire Heroes USA .

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.