Carla Clark | For The Republic Surrounded by Toyota employees, Harper Booram tries to hula hoop after she is told she and her family are going to Hawaii during the Toyota Make-A-Wish CEO for the Day at Toyota Material Handling, Columbus, Ind., Wednesday, June 11, 2025
The new CEO of Toyota Material Handling arrived in a pink limousine Wednesday morning, her employees, dressed in colorful leis and hula skirts, cheering and waving signs to welcome her and her family.
Thanks to Toyota and the local chapter of the Make-A-Wish foundation, new CEO Harper Booram’s wish to visit Hawaii will soon come true later this month, as announced during this year’s Toyota Material Handling’s CEO for a Day event.
A resident of Indianapolis, 12-year-old Harper was diagnosed with leukemia three years ago. Toyota Material Handling began fundraising for Harper’s wish back in February, hosting two golf outings, a silent auction, raffles and more in the months leading up to Wednesday.
“At Toyota, one of our core values, and we take it very seriously, is to contribute to society, being a good corporate citizen wherever we do work, wherever we reside, to be a good corporate citizen,” Toyota Material Handling President and CEO Brett Wood said to the crowd Wednesday morning. “And working with Make-A-Wish really accomplishes that goal in so many ways.”
Accompanied by her mother Laura, her father Brandt and her brothers Eli and Riley, she spent the morning touring the plant and seeing how employees make forklifts.
As the CEO for a day, Harper also spent time in meetings making important decisions like whether employees should go to Dave and Busters, have a team cooking class or participate in an escape room. She ended up choosing the latter because of everyone having to work together.
The morning also saw plenty of surprises, like a personalized video from former soccer star Alex Morgan and a “Harper button” in the plant. As explained by brand ambassador Tom Lego during the tour, music, usually a simple tune, plays whenever a factory line has stopped.
The “Harper button,” however, when pushed would play “Shake it Off” by Taylor Swift, one of Harper’s favorite songs. A display board above, which usually shows the day’s production goal, switches to a picture of Harper’s family.
“(The celebration was) incredible, it is every single year,” Make-A-Wish president and CEO Juli Miller said. “The way (Toyota Material Handling) contribute to the community is remarkable, one of our favorite days of the year.”
Harper greeted everyone and every opportunity that morning with a smile on her face. She said her day as CEO was amazing, with her favorite parts being seeing all of the kind people and how they make forklifts. She said she cannot wait to go to Hawaii, where she and her will snorkel, fish and visit a luau.
“I feel really excited and just really grateful,” Harper said about her wish being granted.
