Shark Attack Sounds Yields $8K Donation to Montauk Playhouse

The Montauk Playhouse Community Center received a donation of $8,000 as part of the Shark Attack Sounds party last month.

The Montauk Yacht Club Resort & Marina donated the money, twice as much as much as originally promised to the organization, the yacht club said in a statement.

“Approximately $3,500 was originally committed to the Montauk Playhouse, as a result of the annual Shark Attack Sounds party held July 5, 2013,” Lloyd Van Horn, the general manager, said. “We decided that we were able to double the donation amount in order to benefit the Montauk community further.”

The yacht club hosted fashion photographer Ben Watts' annual Fourth of July party for the first time this year.

Despite concerns, officials said the event — tagged as a fundraiser for the Playhouse — went off without much of a to-do, though one noise violation was issued. Still, it paled in comparison to the 2012 party, which was held at Rick's Crabby Cowboy in Montauk and was shut down when officials said it got out of control.

In late June, the East Hampton Town Board approved a mass gathering permit for 3,900 people to attend the party with a few caveats, including that parking be provided offsite. Initially, the parking was slated for Rita's Stables in Montauk, but just a few days before the party, the town board met in an emergency meeting to rescind the permit after it was discovered parking wasn't possible there. Instead, organizers — which included Milk Studios founder Mazdack Rassi and Jeffrey Jah — arranged for parking in a field off Montauk Highway in Amagansett, and the permit was reissued by the same margin of 3 to 2.

Partygoers were shuttled to Montauk from the parking site, and taxis also dropped some off at the entrance to Star Island Drive.

The party was attended by celebrities including Theophilus London, a rapper, pro-snowboarder Shaun White, the model Chanel Iman, and the actress Naomi Watts — Ben Watts' sister and her husband, the actor Liev Schreiber.