CAT13 Volleyball Tournament Raises $30,000 for the American Cancer Society
Super Bowl Champions and Team USA Volleyball Player Attend Capital Region Fundraiser
The 13th Annual CAT Volleyball Tournament had its greatest turnout in the history of the CAT. What started as a volleyball tournament in the Bernardo’s high school backyard in Colonial Acres in Glenmont, NY hence the name CAT, has grown into the Capital Region’s largest volleyball fundraising event.
“It’s truly incredible. It’s best friends in high school starting a neighborhood volleyball tournament in Bethlehem for fun and continuing it,” said NOVUS Co-Founder Nick Bernardo, “It became a tradition and now it’s way bigger than we ever thought. We’re really grateful.”
The CAT13 attracted over 350 attendees—the highest attendance in CAT history! The attendees included local businesses, sponsors, friends and professional athletes including two Super Bowl Champions and a Team USA Beach Volleyball player.
What started as an eight-team tournament, grew to 24 teams this year. But it wasn’t just the size of the tournament that’s grown, but also its mission.
“As NOVUS has grown over the years, we realized we could use our business platform to make an impact on others while having fun,” said Nick Bernardo. “A few years ago, both our Aunt Karis and business partner Scott Klimchak’s mother, Kathy Klimchak, were diagnosed with cancer and fought very courageous battles before passing away.”
As its popularity increased, the founders started to partner with the Jimmy Fund, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and most recently the American Cancer Society. Last year, the CAT raised $15,000 for the American Cancer Society and they set an ambitious goal this year to raise $25,000. The NOVUS community blew that goal out of the water with the CAT13 and ended up raising over $30,000 for the American Cancer Society, doubling what they raised in 2022.
NOVUS’ slogan, “Claim Your Crown” could be seen on many of the signs at the CAT13 and more importantly, it could be felt that night. Serving as a subtle reminder to persevere under trial and live a life with passion and conviction, NOVUS’ mission is a common thread that ties the community together. It’s also the reason NOVUS has formed partnerships with people like Kansas City Chiefs Kicker, Harrison Butker, former NFL offensive lineman whose story was made famous by the movie “The Blind Side,” Michael Oher, and Team USA Beach Volleyball star, Terese Cannon.
“I think each of their stories is perseverance, never give up, stories. Everyone knows Michael’s; someone that came from a broken setting, and needed the support of the community to really build him up,” said Nick Bernardo. “Our brand is built on never giving up and claiming your crown.”
All three athletes signed on as partner athletes with NOVUS at different stages in their careers but for the same reason—their emotional connection to the brand.
“I love their message of ‘Claim your Crown’ from The Book of James. I want to be the best football player I can be and claim that ring and I also do want to be a saint one day,” said Kansas City Chiefs Kicker Harrison Butker.
It’s not every day that two Super Bowl Champions and an Olympic-bound Team USA Beach Volleyball player are in the Capital Region, let alone playing backyard volleyball in the parking lot of NOVUS HQ. The athletes attended the event because similar to NOVUS, they believe in making an impact.
“I love the slogan and I love where they’re headed for,” said Super Bowl XLVII champion offensive lineman Michael Oher. “It’s organic and authentic and not chasing dollars. They want to do it the right way and that’s how I’ve always gone about my business all my life. I think that when you do it that way authentically, staying true to who you are, your longevity will outlast anything.”
The pro athletes weren’t just there to get their photo taken, they were there to play the game! Both Michael Oher and Terese Cannon participated in the tournament and brought their a-game. Oher played in several games and could be seen sharing laughs and high-fives with his teammates. While Terese Cannon was essentially a serve-for-hire, teams could donate $25 to “Call in the Cannon” and have the beach volleyball star serve on their team. While her skills were showstopping, Cannon was there because she had her own personal connection to the cause.
“I love being able to do this for a cause. I’ve had some people in my family that have been affected by cancer, so to be able to do this for a good cause and to give back to the sport that I love and the companies that help support me do what I do is pretty awesome,” said Team USA Beach Volleyball star Terese Cannon.
Aside from star-studded, high-energy volleyball action, the CAT13 featured food trucks, a DJ, photo-ops with the stars, and event raffles with all proceeds going towards the American Cancer Society. It brought all ages together for a good cause, which was the purpose of the event when it was created thirteen years ago.
“We are a mission-based company and we want to give back. Doing events like this with our community is completely brand aligned and brings us a lot of joy,” said Nick Bernardo. “It doesn’t matter how young you are. Being young is the most pivotal age to kind of shape you because you deal with a lot of ups and downs, especially in today’s world. It’s hard being a kid but opportunities like this encourage you and show you people to look up to.”
What started as an eight-team volleyball tournament in their backyard has grown into a 24-team volleyball tournament bringing hundreds of people together to raise money for a good cause. After a night of high-intensity volleyball, Team Elevate claimed their crown and won the CAT13 tournament against the ‘96 Bulls.
Thirteen years later, the CAT Tournament and NOVUS aren’t planning on slowing down anytime soon. They look forward to making the CAT Volleyball Tournament a summer staple in years to come and will continue their mission of making a positive impact on the community and the causes they care about.
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