Merrill Gardens Blog

Our Very Own Hometown Hero!

Written by The Team at Merrill Gardens | Jun 19, 2017 7:00:00 AM

We are so proud of Dr. Stanley Stamm who has been selected to receive the prestigious KIROKIRO Radio Hometown Heroes Award!

Dr Stamm has lived at Merrill Gardens at The University for seven years and he is an inspiration to us all.  He retired from his work as a pediatric cardiologist from Seattle Children’s Hospital, after an illustrious 57-year career but he is still working hard to make life better for children.  

In 1966, Dr. Stamm started a summer camp for children with complex medical conditions.  Each August 100 children get to go fishing, ride horses and do all the fun camp stuff at a week long sleepover camp near Mt. Rainier.   These are children who would not normally be able to go to camp and there are two volunteers for each child.  Thanks to fundraising, no child ever pays to attend.  Dr. Stamm will be 93 in July and he still works year round to raise the funds to cover the cost of the camp.  

"Dr Stamm's selfless commitment to bringing joy to these kids is inspiring to all who meet him," said KIRO in a statement.  You can read all about the award KIRO in a statement.  You can read all about the award here.  As a Hometown Hero, Dr. Stamm receives a $2,000 award for his camp. 

Ever since Dr. Stamm moved into Merrill Gardens at the University, the community has held an annual fundraiser to support his efforts.  In 2016, the community raised $4,000, enough to cover the costs of four campers.   The team is now hard at work with a goal of sending at least six children and several volunteers to camp this summer.   It's a labor of love, involving team members, residents, families and friends.   Here is how you can join in - 

It is so inspiring to see everyone come together for such a worthy cause and we are thrilled to see Dr. Stamm receive this well deserved recognition. You can learn more about  Dr Stamm by watching a video from camp below.