Ed Knaggs Set To Run From Wenatchee to Corvallis To Raise Awareness, Funds for Youth Mental Health Services
The former AppleSox and current Corvallis Knights coach will run 419 miles in 28 days to raise awareness and benefit the Trillium Family Services and Only7Seconds
If you’re a baseball fan in Wenatchee or Corvallis, Oregon, you probably know Coach Ed Knaggs. For 14 years he coached the Wenatchee AppleSox and now he is a coach for the Corvallis Knights – two of the most successful teams in the West Coast League. But what you might not know about is Knaggs’ commitment to raising awareness about youth mental health.
When his son Cory was an adolescent, he suffered from anxiety and depression that was nearly unbearable. Thankfully, Cory was fortunate to receive treatment at Trillium Family Services in Corvallis, and Knaggs said his family credits Trillium for saving Cory’s life. Now an adult, Cory is happily married and successful.
But more recently an Eastern Washington family whose four sons Knaggs had the privilege of coaching lost an adolescent son to suicide. And Knaggs said he got to thinking about what he could do to help young people suffering from mental health issues.
“I can’t write a big check, but I can still run,” Knaggs said.
Now in his mid-60s, he completed the LA Marathon in March and on May 1, he’s going to embark on a 419-mile run from Wenatchee to Corvallis in time to make it for the Knight’s season opener.
The goal is to raise awareness about the issue of youth mental health, and also to inspire people to give to Trillium and Only7Seconds, which is an organization based in Chelan with the goal is a world without loneliness.
And the support for Knaggs mission has been overwhelming.
“I’m not a tech guy, but this company sitecrafting offered to make me a website, which looks amazing, and my daughter is going to chart my progress on social media so people can follow along,” he said.
Knaggs daughter Emily said there’s already been one donation so far, and they hope to see many more come in once he gets underway. Emily will also be posting photos, videos and other updates to Facebook, Instagram and X daily and you get the links to those accounts right at the top of the site here.
“Well, him in his old age, he’s not super tech savvy,” she said. “But I’ve always loved doing social media and stuff like that – I’m no influencer by any means – but when he asked me to help I said ‘Let me do it.’”
She said there’s a progress bar on the site and each day after his run morning run, they’ll post an update and folks will be able to follow along dot-by-dot.
The community is also invited to gather and see Knaggs off as he takes off from Paul Thomas Field on the Wenatchee Valley College campus at 8 am on May 1.
You can learn more, follow along and donate via the Opening Day Run website here.
Nice Coach, a very worthy cause!