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Global News
11-07-2025
- Business
- Global News
Cash rains from helicopter onto mourners to honour Detroit man's last wish
A Detroit man's dying wish to make money fall from the sky has come true. Darrell Thomas, a 58-year-old car wash owner and well-known local businessman, died after a battle with Alzheimer's disease on June 15, but wanted to shower his community in one final act of generosity. In late June, Thomas made it rain from beyond the grave when a helicopter, organized by his family, hovered above pedestrians and cars on Gratiot Avenue on Detroit's east side and released thousands of dollars in cash and rose petals from above, People magazine and The Detroit News reported. Lisa Knife, an employee at Airport Express Lube and Service, told The Detroit News that the late owner of a local car wash had made the cash drop his final wish and said that 'everybody got a little bit [of money]' to take home.' Story continues below advertisement A video, shot by Crystal Perry, Thomas's niece, appears to have been captured from inside a car driving on the highway directly underneath the helicopter. The footage shows plumes of banknotes blowing towards the vehicle, with people rushing to pick them up from the middle of the street. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Anaya Toney, an employee in the area where the money was released, told People magazine that she noticed bank notes falling from the sky just before she began work and recalled 'so many people' running to grab handfuls of free cash. 'It was actually kind of crazy,' she said, adding that six lanes of traffic came to a standstill as people left their cars and ran towards the scattered bills. Knife said police arrived and that a part of the street was closed for 30 minutes as a result. Toney said that despite a chaotic rush for the cash, everyone kept the peace and only took their fair share. 'There was no fighting, none of that,' she said. 'It was really beautiful.' Footage from the drop has been circulating online and shows the moment onlookers realized that money was flying out from beneath the hovering aircraft. Story continues below advertisement One video posted on Instagram by Thomas's family shows cars stopped in the middle of the highway and passersby cheering as the cash floats elegantly down to the ground. 'Our Pops Wouldn't Want It No Other Way,' the caption reads. A TikTok user filmed the packed highway at a complete stop while people ran towards the helicopter in the hopes of getting their hands on a few dollars. In a message to her late uncle, Perry wrote on Facebook, 'Them boys SHUT Gratiot down on both sides dropped a light five bands & rose petals out the helicopter for my uncle P. A Eastside Legend.' Story continues below advertisement Her video has been viewed 4.8 million times as of publication.
Scottish Sun
11-07-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Watch as dead man's life savings are dropped from a HELICOPTER sparking mad scramble as strangers grab fistfuls of cash
THIS is the moment a dead man's life savings are dropped from a helicopter as strangers rush to grab handfuls of the money. The extraordinary scene saw $5,000 (roughly £3,600) worth of cash fall from the sky over mourners saying their final goodbyes to carwash owner Darrell Thomas. Advertisement 5 A dead man's savings were thrown from a helicopter over excited residents Credit: Facebook 5 The East Detroit community couldn't believe their luck when thousands of dollars fell from the sky Credit: Facebook 5 Darell Thomas owned a car wash business and was known to be very generous Credit: Facebook Footage shows the surreal moment the aircraft flies over the funeral ceremony, where Darell, from East Detroit, was laid to rest after dying from Alzheimer's aged 58. Known for his generosity, Darrell's final wish was to literally shower his guests in cash as they made their final goodbyes. The helicopter is seen releasing plumes of notes and rose petals over a crowd of bemused funeral guests. Hundreds of notes are seen floating in the air before ceremoniously falling to the ground. Advertisement Read more on World SHORT STACK 'World's smallest volcano' found by locals after bursting from ground in Peru Shocked onlookers can be seen gazing up at the sky, as others scramble to get their hands on some of the money. "Let me get out and get that money," a child is heard shouting off-camera, while others are heard laughing and cheering. The ceremony was held near Gratiot Avenue and Connor Street, East Detroit, where Darell's business, Airport Express Lube and Service, is located. Traffic came to a standstill as stunned drivers stopped their cars to get their hands on some of the showering money. Advertisement While police officers were informed about the petal drop, they said they were unaware cash would also be dropped. Barclays ATMs giving out 'FREE CASH' due to 'glitch' with dozens of customers queueing at machines as IT chaos drags on Darell's son Smoke told local news it was his father's dying wish to give back to his community by "showering the streets" with money. A staggering $5,000 was dropped in total, Darell's niece, Crystal Perry confirmed, with Smoke contributing some of his own money to the drop in honour of his late dad. Smoke told locals news: "Detroit, y'all might not know who my father was, but he was a great father. Advertisement "Among his community he was a legend, and he blessed everyone – and that was his last blessing to everyone. That's all it was." Lisa Knife, an employee at the car wash, said "everybody got a little bit" of the money, "There was no fighting, none of that. It was really beautiful," she added. Last year, wedding guests were treated to a similar spectacle when a groom's father showered a wedding party with cash from a private plane. Advertisement Viral footage showed a light aircraft circling over the party whilst Pakistani music sounds below. Plumes of paper fluttered from the plane and down through the sky. Guests could be seen gazing and pointing into the sky in disbelief as the notes floated to the ground. The money fell around the large party, with guests sitting at tables and milling around a courtyard. Advertisement The father from Hyderabad, a city in the southern Sindh province of Pakistan, hired the plane for the extravagant stunt in his excitement at his son's marriage. 5 Drivers stopped their cars to try and grab some of the falling cash Credit: Facebook
The Irish Sun
11-07-2025
- Business
- The Irish Sun
Watch as dead man's life savings are dropped from a HELICOPTER sparking mad scramble as strangers grab fistfuls of cash
THIS is the moment a dead man's life savings are dropped from a helicopter as strangers rush to grab handfuls of the money. The extraordinary scene saw $5,000 (roughly £3,600) worth of cash fall from the sky over 5 A dead man's savings were thrown from a helicopter over excited residents Credit: Facebook 5 The East Detroit community couldn't believe their luck when thousands of dollars fell from the sky Credit: Facebook 5 Darell Thomas owned a car wash business and was known to be very generous Credit: Facebook Footage shows the surreal moment the aircraft flies over the funeral ceremony, where Darell, from East Detroit, was laid to rest after dying from Alzheimer's aged 58. Known for his generosity, Darrell's final wish was to literally shower his guests in cash as they made their final goodbyes. The Hundreds of notes are seen floating in the air before ceremoniously falling to the ground. Read more on World Shocked onlookers can be seen gazing up at the sky, as others scramble to get their hands on some of the money. "Let me get out and get that money," a child is heard shouting off-camera, while others are heard laughing and cheering. The ceremony was held near Gratiot Avenue and Connor Street, East Detroit, where Darell's business, Airport Express Lube and Service, is located. Traffic came to a standstill as stunned drivers stopped their cars to get their hands on some of the showering money. Most read in The US Sun While police officers were informed about the petal drop, they said they were unaware cash would also be dropped. Barclays ATMs giving out 'FREE CASH' due to 'glitch' with dozens of customers queueing at machines as IT chaos drags on Darell's son Smoke told local news it was his father's dying wish to give back to his community by "showering the streets" with money. A staggering $5,000 was dropped in total, Darell's niece, Crystal Perry confirmed, with Smoke contributing some of his own money to the drop in honour of his late dad. Smoke told locals news: "Detroit, y'all might not know who my father was, but he was a great father. "Among his community he was a legend, and he blessed everyone – and that was his last blessing to everyone. That's all it was." Lisa Knife, an employee at the car wash, said "everybody got a little bit" of the money, "There was no fighting, none of that. It was really beautiful," she added. Last year, Viral footage showed a light aircraft circling over the party whilst Pakistani music sounds below. Plumes of paper fluttered from the plane and down through the sky. Guests could be seen gazing and pointing into the sky in disbelief as the notes floated to the ground. The money fell around the large party, with guests sitting at tables and milling around a courtyard. The father from Hyderabad, a city in the southern Sindh province of Pakistan, hired the plane for the extravagant stunt in his excitement at his son's marriage. 5 Drivers stopped their cars to try and grab some of the falling cash Credit: Facebook 5 People were heard laughing and cheering as they picked up fistfuls of cash Credit: Facebook
