The Bayer family in Powder Springs has an unusual collection -- autographed sports bras.
It's for a good cause, though. The family, which hopes to raise money for breast cancer research and treatment, has collected signed -- some hand-decorated and some sprinkled with perfume -- sports bras from some of the world's most talented female soccer players. More than two dozen bras hang on a rack in the family's home with promises of more on the way.
Once the bras are in hand, they will be auctioned off on eBay, said Dave Bayer, who launched the "MZ & Emmers -- Soccer Kicks Breast Cancer" project with the help of his wife, Carey, their 4 1/2-year-old daughter, Emma and McCall Zerboni, the former Atlanta Beat midfielder who now plays for the Western New York Flash.
Proceeds will go to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, a nonprofit network of breast cancer survivors and activists who educate people about the disease and help raise funds for research and treatment.
"You hear stories about breast cancer all the time and how devastating it is," said Bayer, who was recently laid off from his job as an accountant. He hopes the auction, which begins July 17, will raise about $4,000 for the cause. And, while it's not a huge sum, "any dent is a good dent," he said.
The fundraiser grew out of a conversation the Bayers had with Zerboni, whom they befriended last year. Over dinner, they noticed that Zerboni had a tattoo on her shoulder of a butterfly with a pink ribbon. She said it was in memory of her aunt, Stephanie, who died of breast cancer in 2009.
They started thinking about ways to help Zerboni honor her aunt and to help others suffering from the disease. The first year, they held an auction during a breast cancer event in Roswell that raised about $300.
The idea grew into the bra project. The auction is getting a boost from the players who are tweeting about it and posting information on their Facebook pages. The Bayers have also made two videos that are posted on YouTube to promote the event.
"My aunt, Steph, was my biggest cheerleader," McCall said. "She was a big part of my motivation to play the game." She said her aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008 and went into remission. In 2009, the cancer reappeared and she died on Nov. 1, 2009. "My Atlanta season was the first season I played without her as a fan. It was difficult for me. And even though I'm not in Atlanta anymore, this means the world to me."
Besides Zerboni, other players who have donated bras include Lauren Sesselmann, a forward with the Atlanta Beat; Christine Sinclair, a member of the Canadian National Soccer Team; and the Flash's Marta, from Brazil, whom some consider to the be one of the world's best female soccer players.
"I jumped at the opportunity to get involved," said Sesselmann, who donated a sports bra that she signed and decorated. "So many people are getting breast cancer and more money needs to be raised."
In fact, the disease is the number one cancer killer of women over the age of 40, according to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. A woman's chance of getting breast cancer increases with age.
"The disease affects so many," said Kelly Dolan, executive director of the nonprofit's Atlanta affiliate. "When women are diagnosed with breast cancer, the entire family and their friends are touched by the disease... the effects are amplified."
She said efforts like the Bayers' go a long way toward fighting breast cancer through dollars raised for screening, treatment and research. It also helps raise awareness about breast cancer and the importance of regular mammograms. For those with loved ones diagnosed with breast cancer, it "gives family and friends a little power back over the disease," Dolan said.
