A Detroit Man Who Played a Central Role in the Community
$5,000 Scattered from a Helicopter According to His Last Wish
A unique farewell unfolded in the skies over the United States to honor a man who had passed away.
According to the local media outlet Detroit Free Press, on June 27 (local time), money and rose petals were scattered from the sky over the vicinity of Gratiot Avenue in Detroit.
This event was held in memory of Darrell Plant Thomas, who passed away on June 15 at the age of 58. In accordance with Thomas's last wishes, his sons arranged for a helicopter to scatter $5,000 (approximately 675,000 KRW) and rose petals over Shine Express, the showroom he operated during his lifetime.
When the money was dropped from above, all six lanes of Gratiot Avenue were brought to a standstill. Some drivers even stopped their cars in the middle of the road and ran toward the falling money, causing a commotion. As a result, the police restricted access to part of the road for about 30 minutes. However, it was reported that no fights broke out over collecting the money.
His niece, Crystal Perry, who lives in Detroit, said, "This was his final expression of love for the community," adding, "Yesterday's event was a farewell tribute to Thomas."
Thomas was known to play a pivotal role in the local community. In addition to operating his showroom, he was a certified professional race car driver with the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA). A video from his funeral at Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church described him as having lived many roles?as a brother, father, and grandfather.
Perry said, "Anyone who knew my uncle loved him. He was the kind of person who would do anything for anyone. It's hard to find people like that these days."
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