News : Former Vinton coach Gary Stamp fighting cancer

Gary Stamp, in a familiar place....

Former Vinton coach Gary Stamp, now at Mount Vernon, has been fighting cancer.

A few months after a celebratory story featuring an athlete whose career began in Vinton, the Mount Vernon school district is rallying around an ailing coach whose career began in Vinton.

Mount Vernon softball coach Gary Stamp has been diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer, although he's not a smoker. He has begun treatment at a cancer center in Houston. Last year, Stamp led the Mustangs to the Class 2A State Tournament, where they finished in fourth place.

Stamp began his coaching career in 1969 in Vinton, where he coached baseball and was an assistant football coach. He later coached at several other schools, including Lisbon and Mount Vernon.

There is a page dedicated to Gary at Caringbridge.org. More than 1,600 friends and family members have already read Coach Stamp's story there.

Stamp is a grandfather and a loyal Chicago Cubs fan. His Caring Bridge page shows many photos of Stamp with the people he loves and the activities he loves doing. He is still trying to maintain his jogging routine, despite the effects of his illness.