Steve Harvey's father was a West Virginia coal miner who died in 2000. Harvey says that loss inspired him to start a camp in 2009 for teenage boys growing up without a father, and by 2019 it drew 250 boys. He still hosts it today, now on a Georgia ranch he bought in 2022, where the boys are taught to fish.
The Camp Steve Harvey Built for Boys With No Dad
Steve Harvey's father, Jesse, was a West Virginia coal miner who died in 2000. Harvey says that loss inspired him to start a camp for teenage boys growing up without a father. The camp began in 2009 and is still running.
Fifty Boys at a Ranch
The Steve Harvey Mentoring Program for Young Men started small. In its first year, Harvey brought about 50 boys to his ranch near Dallas.
By 2013 the national camp in Dallas hosted 100 young men from across the country. By its ninth year, in 2017, the camp served more than 200 boys, with free airfare and accommodations so travel costs did not keep anyone out.
In 2019 the foundation's own account of that summer was a headline: Steve Harvey hosts Mentoring Camp for 250 Fatherless Teenage Boys from Around the Country.
What the Boys Do All Week
The foundation describes the camps as interactive programs that focus on manhood, personal responsibility, dream building, and the importance of nutrition and physical fitness. Members of the military and business leaders have served as hands-on mentors, and former campers often come back as mentors themselves.
Boys aged 13 to 18 apply to attend. The 2026 camp was set for five days, June 17 to 21, at the ranch.
A Ranch of Their Own
The camp had been held at The Rock Ranch in Upson County, Georgia, before Harvey and his wife Marjorie finalized the purchase of the 1,581-acre property in May 2022. They renamed it the Harvey Legacy Ranch, and the foundation says camps have been hosted there since 2023.
The pandemic forced one change. In 2020 the foundation moved the camp online as a virtual program. Today the foundation also offers a Steve Harvey Virtual Mentoring Program that meets on the first Saturday of every month.
A Boat for Fishing Lessons
In June 2026 Bass Pro Shops in Macon presented Harvey with a new Ranger boat. The boat will serve as a hands-on tool in the mentoring program, helping teach fishing and outdoor skills to teens aged 13 to 18, alongside leadership, confidence and perseverance.
The camp that began with a loss in a coal miner's family now teaches the next group of boys to fish on a ranch Harvey owns.
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Verified Fact
Verified Oct 7, 2026 · 8 sources checked
Source: The Steve and Marjorie Harvey FoundationShow verification details
Claims checked
- Steve Harvey's father Jesse was a West Virginia coal miner who died in 2000
- Harvey says his father's death inspired him to start mentoring boys and young men
- The mentoring program was created in 2009, with about 50 boys in the first year
- The foundation reported 250 fatherless teenage boys at the 2019 camp
- The Harveys bought the 1,581-acre Georgia ranch in May 2022 and the program is hosted by Harvey
- Bass Pro Shops presented Harvey a boat in June 2026 to help teach fishing to the teens
Sources: The Harvey Foundation, SteveHarvey.com, Inside Radio, 41NBC, PR Newswire, Biography.com, Hook and Barrel
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