When Lilly Cowart found out many students in Spokane aren't able to pay their lunch balances, she created a mission to make sure everyone would be able to eat.

SPOKANE, Wash. — A Mullan Road Elementary student raised $10,000 to help students who were behind on their lunch payments catch up on their balances.

On Monday, Lilly Cowart and her father stood before a crowd of students and staff to present a check to the Spokane School District's benevolence fund.

When Lilly Cowart found out many students in Spokane aren't able to pay their lunch balances, she created a mission to make sure everyone would be able to eat at school.

"Everyone needs a good lunch to be able to learn. Some families can't afford a lunch," the sixth grade student said.

One night in July, she went home to ask her dad how she could help families pay off debts on their accounts.

"He thought it was kinda crazy at first," she said.

"I'm thinking, 'Okay, a couple hundred dollars," said Andrew Cowart, Lilly's father.

He went to talk to the school's lunch coordinator and found out how many students at just that school were behind on their payments.

"It absolutely blew my mind," Cowart said. "I came back to her and said, 'Honey, I can't help. It's too big of a problem.' And she said, 'There's got to be a way we can do it.'"

So he knew he had to help. As a car sales manager, Cowart talked to his team about taking portions of all their car sales and putting them in the fund.

"He had a big sign, and every time I came in (the shop), I'd run to the sign to see how the progress was going," Lilly said.

After only a month of saving, she realized that her goal was possible.

"Once the numbers started getting higher and higher, it just made my heart happy," she said.

She said reaching $10,000 isn't what she initially expected, but she's not surprised she was able to accomplish such a large number.

"I haven't been able to knock this smile off my face all day," she said.

The money will be able to help about 1,000 families maintain their accounts for a year.