The new facility, which features a concession stand, registration area and porch that faces the horse arena, was made possible thanks to a $45,000 donation from the Lions Club — made in memory of Doris for paying it forward decades before.

“The reason we are here today is because of the generous donations made by Mrs. Doris Eells and the Lisbon Lions Club. Without them we wouldn’t have been able to be standing in front of this gorgeous building today,” Saddle Horse Committee member Alissa Blevins said.

Blevins explained Doris, who was vision-impaired, received a pilot dog from the Lions Club seeing-eye dog program. A philanthropist by nature who was responsible for among other things the construction of the mausoleum at the Lisbon Cemetery, Doris already embodied the Lions “We Serve” motto. So she reciprocated the organization’s generosity by donating back to the Lions Club.

“She was extremely grateful to this organization for how they helped her and many others,” Blevins said. “She has donated countless amounts of money to the community and organizations. With her help, the community has flourished and grown.”

The Columbiana County Saddle Horse Committee cut the ribbon on the club’s new facility last week at the county fair. The building was made possible by a $45,000 donation from the Lions Club and was named in honor of Lisbon philanthropist Doris May Eells. (Photo by Stephanie Elverd)

And so has the Saddle Horse Club. The donation from the Lions Club in memory of Eells was the boost the club needed to replace its old building that was showing its age. The initiative had been talked about for years – a dream that came a reality through the $45,000 gift.

“The facility we had had been here for over 30 years and it definitely needed some updating. We had been trying for a few years now to raise enough funds and we were starting to think we were never going to see this project come to fruition and we are very, very grateful that we were able to have this wonderful building,” said Amber May, president of the Saddle Horse Committee.

The building, May said, is a sign of better things to come for the program.

“We are hoping that it makes the horse program better. It gives kids a safer place to have us and have them come up and be a part of this program,” she said. “We have a lot more things planned for the future as we go along and this was definitely a step in the right direction to breathe some life back into this program.”

Aside from the Lions Club donation, the facility was also made possible by other monetary donors and local businesses who donated goods and services to complete the building.

Members of the Lisbon Lion Club donated a bench in memory of longtime Lion Thomas Martin Kirkbride during the ribbon cutting for the Columbian County Horse Saddle Club’s new building. (Photo by Stephanie Elverd)

Also honored at the ribbon-cutting was longtime Lion Clubs leader Thomas Martin Kirkbride who was memorialized with a wooden bench placed in front of the new building. Kirkbride passed away in March of this year. He dedicated nearly 40 years of service, holding several leadership positions, including President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Board of Directors member. His service with the Lions spanned over 40 years and extended to numerous roles at the state and district levels and earned him many prestigious awards — the Club Presidents Award, 100% Secretary Award, Lion of the Year, Council of Governors Award, Knight of the Blind Award, Extension Award, International President Leadership Award, the esteemed Melvin E. Jones Fellowship Award, and the Journey of Hope Award.