An Evening to Launch the Claim Your Crown Foundation
Ahead of the 16th Annual CAT Volleyball Tournament, NOVUS officially launched the Claim Your Crown Foundation with an intimate gathering at Saratoga National's Heritage Restaurant. The evening brought together athletes, partners, supporters, and members of the NOVUS community to introduce the foundation's mission and share the vision for its future.
Throughout the night, guests heard from members of the NOVUS and Claim Your Crown Foundation teams, who shared the inspiration behind the foundation, the impact of the 1:12 Project, and the opportunities ahead to invest in future leaders, create transformational experiences, and support individuals facing adversity. Attendees also had the opportunity to learn how they could become involved through the foundation's giving initiatives, including the Crown Challenge and the 1:12 Collection.
The evening marked an exciting milestone for NOVUS as the Claim Your Crown Foundation begins its work of inspiring people to claim their crown and create meaningful impact in communities for years to come.
Why We Created the Claim Your Crown Foundation
While the launch event introduced the foundation's mission and vision, the story behind the Claim Your Crown Foundation began long before its official launch. In the letter below, NOVUS Co-Founder Garrett Bernardo reflects on the journey, relationships, and faith that inspired the foundation and the purpose it will carry forward.
A Letter From Garrett Bernardo
Some of the most important things in life start long before we realize where they’re leading us.
For me, the story of NOVUS began in my childhood bedroom, shared with my brother Nick.
Long before there was a company, a crown logo, or a Claim Your Crown Foundation, there was a poster hanging on our bedroom wall.
Our Mom hung a poster that simply said:
Never Never Quit.
Below it was the bible verse James 1:12:
“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial, for having stood the test, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.”
At the time, it was just a poster.
Today, I realize it became the foundation for how I would view life.
That message taught me that the journey matters. That adversity has purpose. That growth often comes through challenges. That faith is not simply believing when things are easy, but continuing forward when things become difficult.
My brother Nick and I went on to play baseball at the University of Maine with nothing more than excitement of the unknown and gratitude to be on the journey together.
Along the way, we met a Rutgers lacrosse player named Scott Klimchak. Looking back, it’s hard not to see God’s hand in that relationship. What started as an unexpected friendship grew into a shared dream to build something meaningful together.
The three of us began selling crewnecks and tank tops around our college locker rooms with no roadmap, no guarantees, and no certainty of where it would lead.
We were simply having fun, building relationships, and doing something we loved.
Over time, that small side hustle became NOVUS.
Today, we have been blessed to serve teams, athletes, schools, organizations, and businesses across the country. We’ve met incredible people, built lifelong relationships, and experienced opportunities we never could have imagined when this journey began.
And with all of the growth, countless opportunities have come to stay convicted in our mission.
Facing doubt, enduring loss, long days, sleepless nights and being misunderstood are just a few of them that have made our Claim Your Crown mantra a reality. It’s been the challenges that have shaped us and grown us to feel so excited about pursuing our potential. The hard moments have brought forth one question that never ceases to surface in my mind:
What are we ultimately building this for?
The answer always brings me back to the same place.
Purpose.
Purpose has always been the why behind NOVUS.
The more NOVUS has grown, the more opportunities we’ve had to impact people. The more relationships we’ve built, the more responsibility we’ve felt to invest in those relationships and help others pursue lives of meaning and purpose.
That’s why we’re launching the Claim Your Crown Foundation.
Not because we’ve arrived or because we have everything figured out.
It’s because we believe the platform we’ve been blessed with should be used to serve others. And this Foundation can bring our why to life in as many ways as possible.
To me, the Claim Your Crown Foundation isn’t a new chapter at all. It’s a continuation of the mission that has been shaping our journey from the very beginning.
It’s the gift of faith that we can keep giving to one another. It’s the poster hung by my mother in my bedroom reminding me to never, never quit and it's looking across the showroom at NOVUS HQ seeing my brother right there with me, still grinding and still believing that every moment of the journey matters.
I want to thank every family member, athlete, coach, employee, customer, ambassador, supporter, board member, donor and friend who has believed in NOVUS over the years. That belief is so powerful and is a gift that cannot be measured.
I pray we all can continue to be that gift of faith, that gift of belief to others and continue to watch the amazing stories that unfold because of it.
Thank you for being part of the journey.
Claim Your Crown.
Garrett Bernardo
NOVUS