As you may remember seeing posts on our social media pages, in December I was recruited to capture the wish day of 17-year-old Make-A-Wish recipient Luke. Luke traveled from Make-A-Wish Connecticut to tour the Rivian Automotive factory in Normal, IL. Luke has a love of and fascination with electric vehicles and wanted to see the building process. It was such an amazing day for us all!
We all arrived in the Rivian lobby...a beautifully inviting entrance full of plants, warm welcomes and coffee! There was even a coffee shop right there in the lobby, which I didn’t get a photograph of because I was too busy with introductions, soaking in all the chipper vibes and receiving a quick run through of the day from the team of about 6 people. We were all ready to make his day super magical, and I was ready to capture the magic!
Luke and his family arrived via a Make-A-Wish representative, and then we were off! Our tour began by zooming around on fancy electric carts to get a feel for the facility, starting at the entrance and heading to the back of the building where we would exit and head outside. From there we ended up in the showroom, completely detached from the main facility, where we grabbed snacks. Next, RJ Scaringe, founder and CEO of Rivian Automotive, surprised Luke and his family to welcome them before they went on to explore the manufacturing plant.
When RJ arrived, we grabbed some photographs and a brief interview with Luke ensued. Luke described why he wanted to visit Rivian more than anything else (even more than getting to spend a day with Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson). Luke wanted to do something meaningful to him–something that money couldn’t buy. A Rivian tour is something money can’t buy. Because Luke is an engineering aficionado, he couldn’t think of anything more exciting than to meet such an innovative engineering guru as RJ. Not only is RJ a genius, he’s down-to-earth and an all-around likable guy (just ask anyone that knows him), so the conversation between Luke and RJ was comfortable and sincere.
Next up, we took a tour of the shop floor and paint area, and we even got to witness Luke building a battery from start to finish..none of which I was allowed to photograph because it’s all so TOP SECRET! Luke really enjoyed himself and the talented Rivian photographers I was working with were there to take photos in the restricted area and capture so many great moments for Luke!
When we returned to the showroom, Luke was greeted with a build-your-own grilled cheese bar (Luke’s favorite food)...grilled right out of one of the Rivian trucks in the showroom. His favorite soups and desserts were all there ready for him as well!
After lunch Luke was surprised by a seriously wild ride in a Rivian truck on the proving ground. The best part was that I was asked to ride in the front seat while Luke was driving to capture all of his facial expressions! This wasn’t just any drive. This guy was basically cruising 0-60mph in 3.2 seconds! It took about 12 seconds to get a quarter of a mile down the strip…and my stomach felt it! The off-roading was the most fun for me–big boulders, steep inclines and declines. Most of the time we were either looking straight up at the sky or straight down at the earth. It was a heart-pounding thrill ride, and the energy (along with all the laughter) was quite addicting.
Of the experience, Luke shared, “Rivian went completely above and beyond to make the trip a once-in-a-lifetime experience and on top of that, I learned so much from everyone there. Make-A-Wish gave me a trip I will never forget!” What an honor it was to photograph such a beautiful and moving experience for Luke and his family!
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