A percentage of those proceeds

A percentage of those proceeds and that of the T-shirts will go to Gocampaign.org, which builds infrastructure to benefit children in third world countries, Koury said.
The team organized a kick-off party at Wokcano on Fifth Street, complete with themed attire and prizes, and sat back to examine the fruits of their labor.

A follow-up with businesses showed positive reactions.
"It was fantastic," wrote Will O'Sullivan of O'Brien's Irish Pub on Wilshire Boulevard to Koury. "We were busy when other businesses were slow. People at the bar all week were Googling car-mageddon.com. You guys really got the word out."

At Locanda del LAGO, an Italian restaurant on the Third Street Promenade, manager Megan Sheehy said business was steady throughout the weekend despite losing some customers from the San Fernando Valley who may have visited Santa Monica to take advantage of the warm weather.

"Sales were what we were expecting," she said. "We're happy."
The restaurant offered discounts on appetizers and cocktails, trimming down prices by several dollars.

One business that kept its sales up was Tel's Barber Shop on Pico Boulevard near Virginia Avenue Park and the Saturday Farmer's Market.
Owner Tel Trujillo said his four barbers were steadily cutting heads all weekend long, something he attributes to his loyal customer base.

"Overall, it worked out quite well, just like any other busy weekend," he said. "Some of our customers said business was slow around town because nobody wanted to get in their cars. Farmers at the market across the street said it was slow, too."
Not so for the Downtown Farmers' Market, said Laura Avery, the supervisor for Santa Monica's markets.