A Delaware man is turning a drone into a flying source of good news, sending cash to unsuspecting residents in an effort to brighten their days.
The Wilmington native, who has chosen not to reveal his identity, works in information technology during his regular workday.
But during evenings and even some lunch breaks, he takes to the skies with a personal mission: spreading unexpected moments of happiness across Delaware, with hopes of eventually expanding the project beyond the state.
The man, who goes by 302 Cashcopter online, uses his drone to fly around various cities, where he’ll find a random person to drop $20 on.
Each rolled-up bill comes with his business card and a simple message: ‘You caught today’s drop. Cash inside – it’s yours.’
‘I don’t really want it to be about me,’ he told Our News Outlet, explaining why he remains an anonymous good Samaritan. ‘I’m not really important.
‘Hopefully, [the cash drop] inspires people to be more kind to each other and spread kindness in their own way.’
He launched the initiative only a few weeks ago, following a string of negative headlines about Wilmington and increasingly hostile conversations online. Hoping to give people a reason to smile, he set out to restore some faith in his community.
For about a month, an anonymous Wilmington resident has used his drone to deliver cash to people chosen at random, he told Our News Outlet. Two girls are pictured reacting with excitement to one of the gifts.
The IT worker searches for random recipients throughout Delaware and gives them at least $20. ‘It’s exciting knowing that I’m going to hopefully bring some joy to somebody’s day,’ he said.
‘It’s exciting knowing that I’m going to hopefully bring some joy to somebody’s day,’ he told Our News Outlet.
‘Most receptions are positive, so it’s always cool. Every drop tells its own story.’
That sense of surprise recently reached Deserae Raphael and Dan Swezey as they spent time together at the Wilmington Riverfront after lunch.
Raphael told Delaware Online that she noticed the drone hovering nearby. It moved up and down in a motion she interpreted as a greeting.
The drone soon released a small roll of money. Raphael, who is Swezey’s caregiver, was wary and decided not to grab it, suspecting there might be a catch. Swezey, however, was intrigued enough to investigate.
His curiosity paid off: the package contained $100.
‘Oh, my God, it is money!’ Raphael shouted.
A $100 delivery is unusual for the Cash Copter project. Most drops contain less, but this one was a sponsored gift, allowing someone to contribute $100 and include a personal message for the recipient.
Deserae Raphael and Dan Swezey were spending time at the Wilmington Riverfront after lunch when the drone selected them for a cash drop.
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Raphael initially hesitated to collect the package, while Swezey wanted to see what was inside. The pair ultimately received $100 through a sponsored drop.
‘Tough times don’t last, but tough people do!’ wrote Jade Aniko, who sponsored the gift received by Raphael and Swezey. ‘Sending you love today. Wave to the Cash Copter pilot.’
A video posted to the Cashcopter’s social media pages showed the caregiver and her patient waving back as she held onto the prize.
The pair went on to split the $100.
When he first started the drops roughly a month ago, the cash prize was merely $1 as he tested his model. It then went up to $5 and $10, and eventually the now-usual $20.
In the beginning, it was mainly the IT worker’s own cash that he used to drop, but now he has started a Drop Fund, where the public can donate money toward future ones.
Right now, he has around $275 in the Drop Fund, with $200 of it being sponsored funds, he told Our News Outlet.
In total, he believes he’s dropped around $800 since the start of the project, with roughly 30 drops so far. He said he does not make a profit off the project.
And each recipient is random. Some days it’s the first person he sees wearing a blue shirt. Other days it’s someone who just simply waved at the drone.
The two girls were suspicious at first before realizing it was money. ‘I try to make it as randomized as possible, so that anyone has a chance to get a drop regardless of where you are and when,’ the man told Our News Outlet
‘Most receptions are positive, so it’s always cool. Every drop tells its own story,’ the man told Our News Outlet
‘I try to make it as randomized as possible, so that anyone has a chance to get a drop regardless of where you are and when,’ he said.
And luckily, he hasn’t had the cops called on him yet. However, due to Federal Aviation Administration rules, he does have to remain within sight of the drone.
Right now, the drops are contained mainly to Northern Delaware, but the IT professional is trying to get farther downstate.
He’s been to Wilmington, Dover, Newark and more.
He hopes to hit nearby states too, or to see other people across the country do the same.
For now, though, Delaware residents should continue to look up. The sky might rain money after all.
