July 18th, 2011 
The Bayer family plans an auction to raise money for breast cancer on eBay, starting on July 17 (Photo Credit: Carey Bayer)
Soccer players are known for their powerful kicks but one metro Atlanta family hopes its unusual collection of soccer apparel will help kick a powerful foe: breast cancer.
Powder Springs residents Dave and Carey Bayer and their daughter, Emma, are soccer fans who have collected 84 autographed sports bras from some of the world’s top soccer players. They plan to auction the bras, some of which are hand-decorated and even perfumed, on e-Bay, starting on July 17. They’ll donate the proceeds to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, a nonprofit that raises funds for breast cancer treatment and research, and helps spread awareness of the disease.
How did the family come up with the idea for the auction? Dave Bayer says they were chatting with their friend, McCall Zerboni, a former midfielder for the Atlanta Beat, when they noticed a tattoo of a butterfly and a pink ribbon on her shoulder. Zerboni explained that the tattoo was in honor of a beloved aunt who died from breast cancer.
The Bayers, who had lost two friends to the disease, decided to help. They started with an auction at a breast cancer event in Roswell, where they raised $300. The auction idea began to grow, eventually becoming the sports bra project, which they call “MZ and Emmers – Soccer Kicks Breast Cancer.” It’s named for Zerboni and the Bayer’s five-year-old daughter Emma. Many well-known soccer players are promoting the auction on their Twitter and Facebook pages, and you can click here or here to see promotional YouTube videos about the event.
With sports bra donated by some of the world’s leading female soccer players, including Lauren Sesselmann, a forward with the Atlanta Beat; Christine Sinclair, from the Canadian National Soccer Team; and Brazilian soccer icon Marta Vieira da Silva, from the Western New York Flash, the Bayers hope to raise around $4,000 from the upcoming auction.
To participate in the eBay auction, which launches on July 17, click here. To read more about the sports bra project, visit Our Game Magazine.
