Heidi Sales of Redmond is getting ready to run in the July 20 Napa to Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon to raise funds and awareness for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA).

A build engineer at Microsoft, Sales has done some 5K and 10K running before. This time, she’s tackling the CCFA’s Team Challenge, running 13.1 miles, in honor of her close friend, Joy Roxas, who suffers from ulcerative colitis. Crohn’s and colitis are digestive diseases that significantly impact patients’ day-to-day life.

Symptoms include painful stomach cramps and frequent diarrhea, sometimes accompanied by bleeding. Urgent trips to the bathroom are embarrassing and disruptive to work, school and social activities. Flare-ups are unpredictable and also lead to dehydration and fatigue.

To participate in the Napa to Sonoma event, Sales has to raise $3,500 for CCFA. As of May 8, she has raised $2,459 and is hoping to get more support from local businesses and individuals.

“I e-mailed everyone I know and after the word got out, I heard from several co-workers that they had inflammatory bowel diseases or knew someone who did. It’s more common than you think but it’s not the kind of disease that people talk about, because it’s so unpleasant,” said Sales.

It’s devastating for anyone of any age to have to live with it, she continued, and especially heartbreaking when you hear how it affects children.

“They have a camp to bring kids with UC (ulcerative colitis) together so they don’t feel so alienated. A lot of children can’t go to school or be active because they have so much pain. I heard of one child who said she wished she could die and come back to life with a new body,” Sales said.

She and her team mates have been training every Saturday and are building camaraderie for a good cause.

“I’ve done some races for breast cancer research and JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation),” she mentioned. “It’s rewarding when you know you’re helping someone else. In October, I did a walk where it was raining so hard … I started jogging to stay warm and then it started snowing, but everyone was smiling, having a good time in spite of it.”

If you would like to help Sales raise money for CCFA, here’s a link to her Web site — http://www.active.com/donate/napa08northwest/heidisales.

For other information about the Team Challenge, visit www.ccTeamChallenge.org.