RICHMOND, Va. -- By now you've likely seen the viral video clip of rap superstar Drake handing out $10,000 to some lucky dude in a restaurant in Turks and Caicos.
Drake Gives Random Fan $10,000 While On Vacation one Internet headline read.
This Video Shows Drake Giving a Fan Birthday Cash & The Internet Is Jealous read another.
But did you know, the lucky dude in the video may have checked you into Kanawha pool or made you a sandwich at Taste?
Harrison Woodley was on vacation with his girlfriend and his family earlier this month while on Spring Break from James Madison University.
He and his family went to a restaurant where they thought they could celebrate Harrison's 20th birthday with karaoke.
They never found karaoke. They found the real deal.
Rap superstar Drake was in the bar where he may have been promoting crypto betting platform Stake.
Whatever the reason Drake was there, the 35-year-old, four-time Grammy winner was feeling generous.
When he learned it was Woodley's birthday, Drake reached into a bag and handed over $10,000 cash.
"I was in complete shock," Woodley said when asked to recall the moment he came face-to-face with the celebrity. "My mind just went blank. I've never met someone that famous."
Fortunately, Woodley's girlfriend recorded the moment on her phone. A clip that quickly spread online.
"I've never seen that amount of money in real life," Woodley said.
Unsure what exactly to do with his sudden windfall, Woodley turned the cash over to his dad — who was with them for the birthday celebration.
"As people learned Drake was there, the place started to fill up," Bill Woodley, a medical device salesperson, said. "We decided to get out of there."
But what happened next was not picked up on celebrity gossip blogs nor did it go viral on social media.
"If it were me, and I was 20 years old, I'd be looking at cars or throw a big keg party," Bill Woodley said.
That's not Harrison Woodley.
"Over the month of February, we had some pretty tragic events at JMU and Virginia Tech [where his girlfriend goes to school]," Harrison Woodley said. "There was violence, shootings, and suicides."
Hoping to make a difference, Woodley, his Pi Beta Chi fraternity brothers, and the Center Club Virginia in Blacksburg organized a philanthropy to raise money for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
"We started talking to him about how fortunate he is and how he needed to make sure he paid forward," Bill Woodley said.
Harrison did not need that lesson. His mind was already there.
"Ultimately, the shootings and suicides can be attributed to mental health," the JMU student said. "Both communities were looking for a way to help make a difference and that’s is why we came up with the fundraiser to help raise awareness for mental health and suicide prevention. For me, [donating money to the cause] was the perfect way to pay forward what Drake did for me."
Bill Woodley said he was proud of his son's decision.
"He's well ahead of where I was at that age, that's for sure," his dad said with a laugh.
Click here to contribute to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention fundraiser.
