Columbiana County Park District board members Joe Lawhorn and Chairman Eileen Dray-Bardon display this year’s commemorative T-shirt for the Little Beaver Creek Greenway Trail Bike Benefit Walk/Ride set to begin at 8 a.m. Saturday on the trail. The walk/ride benefits trail maintenance and this is the 35th year since park board members started working on the trail, which opened in 2000. (Photo by Mary Ann Greier)

LISBON — Area residents can ride their bike, run, walk or just buy a T-shirt to help maintain the Little Beaver Creek Greenway Trail during the annual trail benefit walk/ride from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

This year marks 35 years since plans for the trail began in 1990, culminating with the opening of the stretch between Leetonia and Lisbon in 2000 and since then expansions to Washingtonville and out along state Route 154.

“Get out there on the trail,” Columbiana County Park District Board Chairman Eileen Dray-Bardon said, inviting community members to participate.

Volunteers will be set up at four locations along the trail to greet participants and pass out T-shirts which are $20 each. Those locations include the trailhead on state Route 164 in Lisbon, the Teegarden Covered Bridge area, the trailhead in Franklin Square off of Lisbon Road and the trailhead in Leetonia off of Washington Street.

“All the funds raised go to the maintenance of the Little Beaver Creek Greenway Trail,” Dray-Bardon said, in conjunction with the Friends of the Park.

The first benefit walk/ride occurred in2001, a year after the trail opened. She described the event as an essential part of the park district’s operation. She also said it’s a good way to connect with trail users.

“It’s just a great experience. That connection with our trail users has a great value as well,” Dray-Bardon said.

The T-shirt this year commemorates the 35th anniversary since plans began for the trail and lists all the gold and silver sponsors for the trail benefit. Gold sponsorships were $250 and silver sponsorships were $125. Halls of Fame printed the shirts.

New park board member Joe Lawhorn of Lisbon organizes the Coal Country Roubaix bike race and said the trail walk/ride is one of the projects that benefits from the bike race, with the Coal Country Roubaix one of the gold sponsors. The sponsors include many individuals, businesses and organizations.

The walk/ride benefit is one of the biggest fundraisers for the trail.

The park district operates Scenic Vista Park which covers 250-plus acres in Center Township and includes an 18-hole disc golf course, hiking trails and pavilion, Hellbender Bluff Park covering 800 acres in Madison Township, 15 miles of Little Beaver Creek Greenway Trail stretching from Lisbon to Washingtonville, and the historical Ohio Supreme Court meeting site marker on state Route 7 in Fairfield Township.

To learn more about the park district, visit the district website at columbianacountyparkdistrict.org or the district Facebook page.

Other upcoming programs include: Mushroom ID and Walk, 10 a.m. July 13 at Scenic Vista Park pavilion; Trees and Bees, 6 p.m. July 17, Scenic Vista Park; All About Reptiles, 7 p.m. July 24, Scenic Vista Park; Columbiana County Fair, government building, July 28 through Aug. 3; Fascinating Fireflies, 7 p.m. Aug. 7, Scenic Vista Park pavilion; Johnny Appleseed Open Disc Golf Tournament hosted by Stark County Disc Golf Association, Sept. 20 (www.discgolfscene.com/tournaments); Halloween 5K Dash, Oct. 27 (register at www.gcxracing.com/eventsyoungstown); Greenway Trail Half Marathon, Nov. 15, register by Nov. 5 for half marathon, 5k or 10k at www.gcxracing.com/eventsyoungstown).

mgreier@mojonews.com