Matthews girl raises funds for children with heart problems

Lyla Pyles, 9, of Matthews, Missouri, prepares to make popcorn to sell for her American Heart Association Kids Heart Challenge fundraiser to help children who have heart issues. (Photo provided)

MATTHEWS, Mo. — A 9 year old from Matthews who is passionate about assisting children with heart problems is raising money for the American Heart Association.

Lyla Pyles is participating in the American Heart Association’s “Kids Heart Challenge,” according to her mother, Amelia Pyles.

“The Kids Heart Challenge is a fun activity where kids can learn about their heart through physical and emotional well being and how to stay healthy while raising money for the American Heart Association,” Pyles said.

Lyla’s mother said Lyla organizes the fundraiser herself.

“I taught Lyla in kindergarten when she started fundraising that if she wanted to raise money for a good cause, she needed to do it herself and that I wouldn’t do it for her,” Pyles said. “But that I would help her with it.”

According to Pyles, Lyla sends out messages and emails every year, bakes cookies, popcorn and muffins and sells them at local businesses. 

“Lyla does come up with the ideas on her own,” Pyles said. “She does need our help with some things, like putting cookies in the hot oven, or we will let her send texts from our phones and take videos to post to our Facebook pages.”

Lyla’s mother also said the Kids Heart Challenge is connected with an activity called “Finn’s Mission,” in which Lyla can earn badges for accomplishing various missions such as learning CPR or eating well.

“And if we complete Finn’s missions, we get entered into a drawing for 20 or 25 Super Bowl tickets,” Lyla said. 

Lyla said keeps track of everything she does using the American Heart Association Schools app. 

“On the app it has things like my goals, how much money I have raised, and what place I am in,” Lyla said.

Lyla said her younger brother, Garret, is also participating in the Kids Heart Challenge for his first time this year.

“I’ve been helping him learn how to do this,” Lyla said. “And he is in kindergarten.”

Lyla said she began participating in the Kids Heart Challenge in kindergarten and explained why she wanted to do it.

“I just wanted to help kids who have heart problems so that they could no longer be in pain or anything from heart problems,” she said.

According to the 9 year old, her goal this year was to personally raise $1,000, and she has raised $1,272.