Bridgewater Educator Gets $10K, Appears On 'Ellen DeGeneres Show': Video

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Bridgewater resident and Newark principal Akbar Cook is back in the limelight when he received $10,000 during his appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show." (Watch the segment below)

Cook, a West Side High School principal in Newark, previously received $100,000 from Ellen in recognition of his work for his school and community.

Cook said it took him two years to come up with the idea to create The Ellen DeGeneres Urban Farm. On Thursday, he returned to the show to share the details about how the farm provides fresh food for the community and residual income for the student workers.

The farm grows a variety of produce including apricot trees, date trees, bitter melons, collard greens and more.

"We have everything. And the great thing about it is we are bottling this stuff up so we have our own hot sauce," said Cook. "My kids get to sell the hot sauce on my website WestSideAve and they get the proceeds. So we created an e-commerce for the kids so now they no longer have to go out and get these odd jobs. They are making a residual income while they in school getting those business associate degrees and things of that nature."

"That's amazing because they need those jobs and keep them there in school instead of having to go out since it's a really dangerous neighborhood," said DeGeneres.

Additionally, Cook also showed off a mural the school created and dedicated to DeGeneres.

"I want you to think about as a straight black man I'm putting a gay white woman on my building in an urban district and it says to be kind to one another. What impact that has on my community and my kids?" said Cook.

DeGeneres then surprises Cook with a $10,000 gift card for gardening tools, courtesy of Lowe’s.

Cook was previously on television when he and his wife Sheridan competed on "The Amazing Race. Read More: Bridgewater Couple Conquers Fears On 'The Amazing Race'

Watch the segment below:

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