San Ramon resident and Gale Ranch Middle School teacher Katie Murphy is lacing up her running shoes this summer to help send kids with life-threatening and chronic illnesses as well as developmental disabilities to The Taylor Family Foundation’s Camp Arroyo in Livermore.

Inspired when her physical education and leadership classes at Gale Ranch participated in The Taylor Family Foundation’s Coins for Camper’s campaign (her classes raised enough to send 5 kids to camp) this spring, Murphy decided to dedicate her 100-mile Cascade Endurance Race to the kids at Camp Arroyo.

Her goal is to raise $5,000 to send 10 kids to camp.

Camp Arroyo is a summer and weekend camp where children can laugh and play, build self-esteem and friendships, and most importantly spend time feeling loved and accepted for who they are. Many times the kids who attend this camp live a life of feeling different, out of place and alone.

Murphy knows that feeling all too well.

One day, not long ago, Murphy woke up with a nut allergy. After being rushed to the hospital, her life changed. Like the kids who attend Celiac Camp at Camp Arroyo, Murphy now has to watch everything she puts in her mouth. She can't just go out for dinner or even to a friend's house to eat without asking a dozen questions about how each dish was prepared.

A life-long runner, Murphy isn’t satisfied with just running a marathon. She likes to dig-deep and challenge herself. After completing the San Diego 100-mile Endurance Run in 2009, she set her sights higher. Approximately 6,000 feet higher. The Cascade 100-mile Endurance Run through the Cascade Mountains in WA has a total elevation gain of 20,470 feet across the 100 miles. The highest point of the run will have runners reaching an altitude of 5,840 feet. Murphy expects to take 26 hours to complete the run.

Murphy is keeping a training blog at katiesmiles4smiles , so friends, family and those who are just curious can see what it takes to train for a 100-mile run.

For more information about Katie Murphy, send email to Katie@katiesmiles4smiles.com

For more information about The Taylor Family Foundation, send email to Jamie@ttff.org.