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Watermark, an upscale bar and lounge on the Asbury Park boardwalk, has donated a total of $21,500 to support a full music program at the city’s Hope Academy Charter School.

At a benefit held Tuesday, Watermark owner Russell Lewis presented Asbury Park’s Musical Heritage Society with a check for $20,000 and, by the end of the benefit, raised an additional $1,500 to add to the pot, he said.

Click here to see a Sun Facebook photo album of pictures from the event.

The majority of funds were raised by charging patrons a cover charge on nights there was a concert on the Stone Pony Summerstage. The stage is visible from Watermark’s outside patio and an overabundance of would-be concertgoers packed the rooftop deck last summer, nearly causing the local fire marshal to shut the location down one evening, Lewis said, so he began to charge a cover to keep crowd numbers in check. After members of the public took to social media outlets to express their ire for the door charge, Lewis decided he would donate the proceeds to local charities.

Earlier this year, Lewis announced his intent to provide Lakehouse with all of the proceeds he collected this summer to further the academy’s mission to support “education, music, and kids in Asbury Park,” he previously told the Sun.

The Musical Heritage will administer the funds to Lakehouse Music Academy to underwrite a music program for Asbury Park’s Hope Academy Charter School and to grant scholarships for music education and instruments to Lakehouse students.

Davisha Pratt, Hope Academy Charter School principal, said she had a positive experience growing up while participating in Asbury Park’s band program and that being able to  bring a full music program is an “exciting opportunity” for students at the school.

“Music is, without a doubt, the universal language of the soul,” she said, as she expressed “heartfelt thanks” to Lewis, Lakehouse owner Jon Leidersdorff and Tom Gilmour, director of the Musical Heritage Foundation.

“Music saved my life, it saved Jon’s life, it saved [Lakehouse General Manager] Juan [O’Grady’s] life,” said Lakehouse Academy music director Albie Monterrosa. “We had a big dream, we wanted to spread the love and it’s happening now. Here we are, saving lives with music.”

[Photo at top, from left to right: Dennis Daniels, Hope Academy Charter School’s dean of students; Tom Gilmour; Russell Lewis, Davisha Pratt and Jon Liedersdorff.]

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