Building a Legacy of Devoted Volunteerism
By Jennifer Tyler
A man of many talents who donates them all to benefit Camp Ondessonk – that is who Stephen “Tip” Belz is. He has built connections and community through many years of service to Camp Ondessonk and always finds a way to use his special interests and abilities to help Camp.
Tip will be sharing his grilling skills at the 30th Annual Pete Korte Memorial Golf Benefit for Camp Ondessonk, September 27, 2025, just as he has done for the last 10 years. “I’ve never played golf in my life, I just like to contribute to events, so that was my contribution to the golf tournament,” Tip said. But Tip did not just casually fall into the hobby of smoking and grilling meat. Rather, it is a family tradition that recalls his youth and smelling his dad’s barbecue.
“When I was a kid, we lived across from French Village Drive-In in East St. Louis, and every year for the 4th of July they had a huge fireworks display. So, our house became the place to gather for the 4th and Dad would get a case of ribs and have an open pit to cook for everybody. I remember waking up and smelling something in the air – probably my mom making potato salad – and thinking ‘this is going to be a good barbecue day,’” he said.
Tip now shares his family tradition of cooking for others with the Camp O Community. He donated a dinner for 20 to the live auction at Camp’s Gala Italiano in March. But meeting the winner at the Gala was more than just introductions and exchanging numbers – it turned into a surprise reunion of childhood classmates. “I didn’t know who it was, so I went to talk to him to make arrangements, and then I realized we were in the same grade school class,” he said.
He plays the harmonica and has brought bands of different musical genres to entertain at Camp. He also makes three-dimensional art, including ceramics and pottery with Camp’s logo on it. Tip is an electrician by trade and has devoted many hours improving Camp’s infrastructure. He was heavily involved with the electric work at Fournie Lodge, and he is particularly proud of his work to redo the lighting in the Chapel.
This devotion to service began with continuing a family tradition, but through the years, Tip has created his own legacy as a devoted volunteer and positive changemaker, including as a member of Camp’s Board of Directors for nine years.
“Being involved with Camp has been part of our family, and I want to do something positive for society and positive for kids. Camp Ondessonk is a great thing for kids that is needed in this world today.” He went on to say, “Camp runs on volunteers, and I never did like to run but I’ll run with the volunteers.”
Click here to learn more about volunteering at Camp Ondessonk.
