Photo by Bill Green Volunteer Cal Miller places a load of bras that had just been counted during the “Bras for the Cause” for Breast Cancer Awareness Month event Sunday afternoon.

Bras, new and slightly used, collected and brought in by people seeking to do their part to support breast cancer research.

Local radio station 99.9 WFRE and Triangle RV World began collecting bras Oct. 1 for the "Bras for the Cause" for Breast Cancer Awareness Month event they organized.

Organizers provided live country music and food for children.

Each bra tallied will be matched by a dollar donation from RV World, said Jess Wright, program director at WFRE.

By Sunday afternoon, they'd collected more than 5,000 bras, she said.

The money will then go to breast cancer nonprofit Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

The bras will professionally cleaned and then donated to local shelters and women's groups for distribution, Wright said.

"This is our way of doing something to get people involved without asking for money directly," she said.

Steve Shapiro, owner of Triangle RV World, said he's personally given money and been involved in supporting breast cancer research and awareness efforts in the past. His mother died of breast cancer at 47. This event was the first involving his business.

Shapiro said he'd like to make the event an annual affair.

Donna McClung went to the event to donate a few bras and listen to some country music.

She just lost a cousin to breast and brain cancer. "I know what it's like," she said.

Jessy Acosta brought a box full--92 bras she'd collected from co-workers at Fort Detrick--for donation.

Her best friend's mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, she said, and she wanted to do her part to help fight the disease.

Randy Sharps, an Triangle RV World employee and country music singer and songwriter, performed with his band "Thunder and Lightning."

Since the bra collection at the store began, Sharps said he's heard stories of hope and of heartbreak.

"I'd like to focus on the stories of hope," he said.