Westside

MUG-A-THON: It was an unusual way to raise money, but the third-annual Mug-A-Thon in Santa Monica last week helped focus attention on domestic violence and raised $4,500 to pay for self-defense classes for women, organizers said.

Sponsored by Impact Personal Safety, the event drew about 150 spectators and participants Saturday as graduates of the self-defense programs fought off mock assailants.

The money raised will pay for self-defense classes for 12 women who could not otherwise afford the cost, said a representative of Impact, a Tarzana-based defense training group.