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A man from Michigan, well-known for his acts of kindness, decided to show his appreciation to his community in a truly remarkable way during his funeral. He surprised everyone by having a helicopter rain money down on the attendees.
Darrell ‘Plant’ Thomas, a beloved car wash owner in East Detroit, died from Alzheimer’s at 58 and was laid to rest on Friday, June 27.
The funeral took an unexpected turn when a helicopter flew over Gratiot Avenue and Connor Street, where the man’s business, Airport Express Lube & Service, was located. Instead of tears, mourners found themselves being showered with rose petals and cash bundles.
The scene turned chaotic as all traffic on Gratiot Avenue, with its six lanes, came to a halt. Drivers were left in disbelief as they parked their cars in the middle of the road to join in the rush to collect the money falling from the sky.
The dramatic send–off was orchestrated by Thomas’ sons, who said it was their father’s dying wish to give back one last time by ‘showering the streets.’
His niece, Crystal Perry, said her uncle dropped a total of $5,000, according to a Facebook post.
Footage shows the helicopter hovering in a bright blue sky as petals and bills flutter down, prompting screams of joy and a mad scramble on the ground.
‘Let me get out and get that money!’ a child can be heard shouting off–camera.
Darrell ‘Plant’ Thomas, a beloved East Detroit car wash owner, was laid to rest on June 27 with a surreal final send-off, as a helicopter swooped over his former business and showered mourners with rose petals and bundles of cash
Thomas died of Alzheimer’s at the age of 58
‘They dropped this money for my uncle in the middle of Gratiot [Avenue],’ Perry says in the background. ‘The best to ever do it! Rest well, unc. Rest well!’
Instead of turning chaotic, the crowd remained calm and reverent.
‘There was no fighting, none of that,’ longtime employee Lisa Knife told The Detroit News. ‘It was really beautiful.’
She did not partake in the cash grab, but instead admired with reverence. ‘Everybody got a little bit,’ she said.
One of Darrell’s sons, known as ‘Smoke,’ helped organize the emotional send–off and spoke proudly about his father’s legacy.
‘Detroit, y’all might not know who my father was, but he was a great father,’ Smoke said. ‘Among his community he was a legend, and he blessed everyone – and that was his last blessing to everyone. That’s all it was.’
He ended with a heartfelt tribute: ‘Many blessings to everyone, and long live Plant.’
Other videos captured people eagerly scooping up bills from the street, bending down to grab handfuls of cash as it fluttered across the pavement.
Mourners and bystanders scramble to collect money falling from the sky during the emotional tribute
Thomas’ two sons arranged for the helicopter to ‘shower the streets’ as a part of their father’s memorial service
Thomas was remembered as a generous community figure and local business owner in East Detroit
Footage shows petals and dollar bills fluttering down from the chopper
Smiles, cheers, and laughter filled the air as the unexpected windfall brought the neighborhood together in a moment of shared celebration.
Police briefly closed off traffic on Gratiot Avenue and Connor Street to allow the crowd to safely enjoy what many called the most heartwarming goodbye they’d ever seen.
While officers were informed about the rose petal drop, they had no idea money would also be raining from the sky.
Detroit police said they are not investigating – but the FAA has launched a probe.
