Keeping It Reel
Published Tuesday, July 15, 2025
Marco Belcamino, Digital Engagement Intern at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation, pictured at Taylor Swift's Eras Tour in Chicago.
Meet Marco Belcamino, Intern, Digital Engagement at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation
It's somewhat fitting that Marco Belcamino's first event as Intern, Digital Engagement was a brand new Signature Event for the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation: the First Annual Chase the Case Charity Auction Showdown presented by Doane Grant Thornton on May 30. It was also his first taste of how generous the community in Thunder Bay really is.
“It was my third day, so I was a little nervous,” Marco said. “What was eye-opening was just how many people in the city were willing to donate in support of local breast cancer care. There was a huge list of sponsors and seeing all the people who came out that night – it was amazing.”
Marco made a Reel for Instagram and Facebook that collected the highlights of the night. For those not familiar, Reels are short videos posted on social media. But it's relatively old hat for Marco. He was on student council in high school, and managing the student social media account was one of his responsibilities.
After high school, Marco went to Lakehead University, graduating this year with an Honours Bachelor Degree in Commerce (Marketing Major). Marco wanted to go into social media marketing after university, though he didn't necessarily consider philanthropy.
“I've always loved social media – I grew up alongside YouTube and then Instagram,” Marco said. When he saw the year-long internship posted, it seemed like an obvious fit for his skills and interests. “I see the philanthropy aspect as a bonus.”
Philanthropy itself was not new to Marco. When he was younger, Marco would volunteer with his family including at the Dew Drop Inn.
“I grew up helping other people.”
Still, Marco got a tremendous insight into the impact of donations to the Health Sciences Foundation after posting an article about the new ECMO unit purchased thanks to donors, Thunder Bay 50/50 ticket purchases, and events. In the comments, one woman talked about her own struggles with breathing and how important equipment like this is.
“It's nice to get to see the impact that you're making,” Marco said, adding that it was a special moment, connecting the new piece of equipment with a patient who could benefit from having it here in Thunder Bay. “Her comment really spoke to me.”
Marco also mentioned the Family CARE Grant program that provides Hospital staff with the funding they need up to $4,000 to put their own ideas for patient care improvements into action.
When he's not at work, Marco enjoys all things music, especially playing guitar. He's also a certified Swiftie and was lucky enough to catch the Eras Tour live in Chicago. (and hasn't stopped talking about it since). Although Marco has only worked at the Health Sciences Foundation for a short time, he counts some of the people there among that group. He knew fellow staffers Lindsay Puhalski and Cassandra Carangi already, but has made fast friends with others at the Health Sciences Foundation.
“Everyone here is so welcoming to me – we all seem to have the same mindset,” he said. “It's great.”