Comedy Show at The Roxy Helps Send Foster Kids to Camp

Dave and Bobbie Ebert have a heart to serve children.

The couple are youth pastors at Thrive Church in Lockport. Dave, a local comedian and founder of well- Versed Comedy, thought of putting together an improv show while helping foster kids.

“The idea was also to give people a break” said Dave. “There has been so much stress in society in the last year between COVID the election and everything. I also wanted to raise funds for Royal Family Kids Camp. It was great to bring people together that know each other and rebuild community. It was great to laugh together and do it for a good cause.”

Royal Family Kids is now under the banner of For the Children and has been running camps since the first one in 1985, in California. In 1990, Royal Family KIDS Camps, Inc., officially launches and sees the effort grow to 13 different camps in operation by 1993. RFK has served over 136,320 children since 1985.

“Because they’re shipped from home to home or have some behavioral challenges they’re afraid someone’s going to write them off so they might as well cause it to happen” Dave explains. At camp I’ve seen those behavior issues disappear.”

RFK is for kids in the foster care system that fall through the cracks, usually kids that are high risk to fall into gangs, drugs or trafficking attend the camp.

“The show was to help raise funds so that at least one week a year, these kids are treated like absolute royalty” said Dave. “We want them to see that there are bigger things in life than what they see in front of them.”

Dave tells a story of one of his campers from last year.

“The child I was assigned in our cabin came with a laundry list of challenges” said Dave. “He was labeled before he came, almost to the point of scaring us. I believe If you treat a kid with warning labels that is what you’re going to get, if you treat them like a kid, that is what you’re going to get. We treated them like kids, so the warning labels didn’t fit at all.”

“The changes we saw at camp have stuck so all these issues he was carrying, the caregivers didn’t see anymore” added Dave. “It’s success stories like that shows you that you are making a difference.”

“At this camp, they are loved, they are welcomed, they are wanted and nobody is going to get rid of them” he added.

There is no cost to the child, however it costs 350 dollars per person to fund the camp for food, prizes, gifts, supplies and much more.

“There is an opportunity to help” said Dave. It could be financially or taking the time off to serve, if you have a heart for kids and ant to show them that they are valuable, we’ve got a spot for you.”

The goal for the Ebert’s is to get sponsors and counselors for twenty foster children.

Another supporter for the RFK camp is John Schwider who started the second Royal Family Kids Camp in Illinois. He has been volunteering for 27 years. Schwider was the children’s pastor at Stone Church in Palos Heights at the time he began the second RFK camp in Iliinois.

He loves Royal Family Kids Camp so much, he now works for them starting camps throughout the United States. He is the US East Field Rep for Royal Family Kids camp for 17 years.

“The first year, I was there to assist everyone” Schwider explains. “I was exposed to the trauma that foster children go through. One of the little girls in our camp had been sex trafficked for two years from the ages of three through five. Her mom was in prison when she came to our camp. The mom, who was a drug addict sold her children so she could get her drugs” he added. “Her initial stay at the camp she was great around female staff but the male staff she kept hiding from us. Her counselor told her that there was still nice men in the world, so I began talking to her. Thursday she was calling me daddy, by Friday she wanted me to take her home as her foster daughter. That transition from Monday through Friday at camp shook my world. I’ve never seen that much change in a child.”

“Later as an adult, she told us how Royal Family Kids Camp had an impact on her life.”

Schwider said that B had stayed in contact with he and his wife until she was 23 years old. Today they have looked for B and can’t find her.

“Another girl I had met at RFK camp had a difficult childhood living with abusive relatives” Schwider said. “She told one of the support staff, her only happy memories is when she was at camp. She was loved valued and honored. The camp made such an impact on her, she started her own RFK camp at 24 years old.”

Foster kids that attend the camp are chosen through DCFS, Aunt Martha’s, Jewish Federation and a host of agencies. There have also been kids from SOS Children’s Village in Lockport that have gotten to go to the Royal Family Kids Camp. “We have even taken Christmas gifts to the kids at SOS for the past to year’s” said Schwider. “It takes between thirty and forty thousand dollars to run each camp” he added.

Schwider still volunteers for the Royal Family Kids Camp Orland Park camp. He takes a week off of work, this year he is the director of that camp.

“When the kids get off the bus, we are all cheering for them” said Schider. “We have their names on poster boards because nobody is happy to see these kids. They go from placement to placement and the social worker picks them up and takes them to strangers. We want them to know this is different that we call them by name that they are valued.

“It’s important to support foster children to let them know there are still good people in the world” said Schwider.

Besides Dave Ebert performing, his wife Bobbie was the emcee and joining Dave on stage were other local comedians to raise funds for the Royal Family Kids Camp. Included were Nicci Hejnar Brooke Simkins, Brian Bougher along with Jesse and LaDonna Sault.

The Ebert’s have created a wish list for the kids if you would like to donate.

The link is Amazon Wish List: https://www.amazon.com/registries/custom/24EX62BEGSVT2/guest-view

If you need any additional information or to contact the Lockport Royal Family Kids Camp, here is the information.

RFK Lockport's website: lockport.royalfamilykids.org

RFK Lockport's Facebook: www.facebook.com/rfklockportIL

RFK Lockport's Instagram: www.instagram.com/rfklockport