​Run-A-Way Buckers: Summer Day Camp Offers Kids Well-Rounded Getaway

Story and Photos by Jonathan Turner
Loan Product: Microloan

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​Run-A-Way Buckers, a youth summer day camp in Kankakee County, Illinois, provides a unique retreat for children ages 4 to 12 years, offering enriching experiences in farming, arts and crafts and faith. 

Established in 1999 by Reginald Stewart Sr., the camp aims to provide a healthy alternative to the challenges faced by inner-city youth, in an environment that demonstrates the values of life in the country. The camp draws inspiration from Stewart’s own childhood experiences on his family’s farm in the area. Originally from Chicago, he saw too many young people fall victim to the city’s violence. Seeking a solution and respite, he turned to his family’s farm in Pembroke Township, over an hour south of Chicago. With a heart for youth, Stewart believed that the farm – with its peaceful environment and agricultural activities – could offer a positive escape and developmental opportunities for city youth, and help keep kids on the right track in life.
Reginald enjoyed coming to the family farm when he was young, and wanted to give other kids the same opportunities.

Stewart and his wife Brenda (who has been a school nurse for many years) have been married for 40 years. Their shared vision for the day camp was to introduce urban children to the rural lifestyle that Reginald cherished during his youth, Brenda explains. “We introduce the kids to a rural area, many different things,” she says. “He wanted to teach them how to ride a horse, how to grow their own food. He just wanted to bring that world to them, where they could come out of the city and then in turn, he wanted to take the rural kids to the city, so they have the opportunity to see all the different things about the city.”
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The Run-A-Way Buckers older adolescent and adult counselors and staff offer guidance, trusting relationships, and life skills to enhance youth development.

​A family legacy
The camp name – Run-A-Way Buckers – reflects Reginald’s childhood, when he was a spirited youngster often likened to a wild, bucking horse and his parents brought him out to the country, Brenda says. His parents’ 14-acre farm -- just up the road from the 8-acre camp – played a significant role in his upbringing. “He came out here and he was able to run away,” she says. “He has a soft spot for the area.”
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The camp operates from late May to early August, running five days a week from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. They include weekly trips to Chicago, exposing kids to city museums and restaurants. The Stewarts started it with their own children and initially funded the effort with their personal finances. The camp now serves about 50 to 70 children each year. “We really didn’t look at it as a summer camp – but something for the kids and the community to have something to do,” Brenda says. “We based it on that. We looked at it as the kids having fun.”

Reginald Stewart Sr. alongside his wife, Brenda, owner and operators of Run-A-Way Buckers. Photo courtesy of Jonathan Turner.

“We introduce the kids to a rural area, many different things,” she says. “He wanted to teach them how to ride a horse, how to grow their own food. He just wanted to bring that world to them, where they could come out of the city and then in turn, he wanted to take the rural kids to the city, so they have the opportunity to see all the different things about the city.”
- Brenda Stewart, Co-Founder and Co-Owner
​Run-A-Way Buckers
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Local organizations have generously donated 72-passenger and 14-passenger buses to transport the campers, enhancing their ability to participate in various activities. The camp has 12 counselors each summer, some of whom started as campers themselves and have returned as young as teenagers to contribute to the program’s growth, Brenda says.

Educational and spiritual enrichment
The campers engage in hands-on learning about food production, by growing their own fruits and vegetables, as well as protein products (chicken and pork). Organic crops are grown each summer to provide educational experiences about sustainable farming practices. The camp features a wide variety of farm animals, including goats, chickens, horses, rabbits, and even a turkey named Tom.

Daily Bible study is a core component of the camp program. Counselors guide children through Scripture, helping them to read, memorize, and apply the lessons to their daily lives, Brenda says.

“Jesus loves us so much, we must be very special,” she says. Campers also participate in Christian-based singing activities together.

Support from Bridge Investment
To further enhance their program, the Stewarts sought additional transportation options for parents and campers with special needs, including those with autism.

“We needed to get another bus, but something smaller. We heard about Bridge Investment through the bank and put in for the loan,” Brenda says.
The Stewarts secured the loan in early 2024 to purchase a seven-passenger van. Brenda said the lower interest rate “was an amazing help.”
“I didn’t want a big loan, just a few years and be through with it,” she said. “We only have it for three years and that’s perfect.”

For more information about Run-A-Way Buckers and how they are making a difference in the lives of youth, visit www.runawaybuckers.com.