UPDATE: Marines Raise $6,900 for Celebration

About 40 Marines and community volunteers set up shop Saturday morning to wash cars in the Pico Plaza parking lot.

By the end of the day, the Marines had raised $4,400 from washing cars and selling baked goods. Combined with matching donations from an anonymous donor, the total was $6,900 for the day, according to Marine Corps booster Jim Hogan.

The Marines are raising money for a homecoming celebration for the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines' homecoming from Afghanistan this spring. The unit, which is the city of San Clemente's adopted unit, is organizing a Las Vegas weekend in April, the last time the Marines will be together as a group.

Also set up in the parking lot was a bake sale staffed by Marine wives and other volunteers.

"For this one, there was a lot of help from the community, but generally, the wives pull it together," said Stephanie Griswold, whose husband Christopher is serving in the 2/4. "I look forward to him being home and us being normal again."