US man's family fulfils his last wish by dropping thousands of dollars from helicopter to thank community

In a tribute to Darrell Thomas, a helicopter dropped thousands of cash over Detroit's east side on Jun. 27.

According to The Detroit News, Thomas was the owner of a nearby car wash. He had died of Alzheimer's and his last wish was to do the money drop.

Thomas' niece, Crystal Perry, told Fox 34 News that the drop was how her uncle wanted to thank the community.

Fox 2 Detroit reported that Thomas was a community pillar who was well-known for the love he had for his family and neighbours, as well as the love he had for classic cars.

Thomas' son, "Smoke", was one of the people who helped arrange the drop.

"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."

After the money drop, a massive block party was held in honour of Thomas' life, and his family, family friends and neighbours had all gathered to commemorate him.

The iconic cars which Thomas were fond of were also parked along the yard.

What Happened

The helicopter money drop happened in the area of Gratiot Avenue and Connor Street in Detroit.

An employee at the nearby Airport Express Lube and Service, Lisa Knife, told The Detroit News that thousands of dollars were dropped from the helicopter.

Instead of running towards the falling dollar bills, she had watched in awe as the bills fell.

Though the situation was hectic, Knife said that it "remained peaceful".

"There was no fighting, none of that. It was really beautiful."

Anaya Toney, an employee at the nearby Motor City Coney Island told The Detroit News that many people stopped their cars and got out, running towards the falling bills.

All six lanes of traffic came to a standstill for several minutes.

Knife further added that when the police arrived, they closed off a section of Gratiot for about half an hour.

According to Fox 34 News, police were told in advance that they planned to drop rose petals from the helicopter, but they were not informed about the money.

Though the Federal Aviation Administration has said that they are currently investigating the incident, the police have stated that they will not be conducting an investigation.

You can view the full video here:

Top photos via Ceejay Mccain and Crystal Perry via Wsaz