When: 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1.

Starts at: YMCA of Port Angeles, 302 S. Francis St., Port Angeles, and travel to YMCA of Sequim, 610 N. Fifth Ave. $10. To register, contact Chantelle at 452-9244, Chantelle@olympicpeninsulaymca.org, or visit http://olympicpeninsulaymca.org/ytoy/

Details: Groups leave in waves from PA along the Olympic Discovery Trail with two locations at the Four Seasons Ranch and Agnew Fields along the 18.2 miles to join in. A barbecue and live music available at YMCA of Sequim from noon-3 p.m.

By Nov. 1, the YMCA of Sequim, 610 N. Fifth Ave., should be fully operational, staff say.

Branch manager Kurt Turner said they plan to have a soft opening on Oct. 24 with normal operating hours but certain areas such as the pool and play area may remain closed or on limited hours depending on final construction work.

“We expect the full facility to operate normally beginning Nov. 1,” he said.

The YMCA of Sequim opening follows the closure of the Sequim Aquatic and Recreation Center on Oct. 30, 2015. Members of the Clallam County Parks and Recreation District 1, the junior taxing district that owns SARC, voted to turn the facility’s management over to the Olympic Peninsula YMCA.

Sequim’s membership desk will open for the Olympic Peninsula YMCA’s Y-to-Y event on Saturday, Oct. 1. Participants will leave from the YMCA of Port Angeles and travel either by foot or bicycle along the Olympic Discovery Trail to the Sequim club. A barbecue and live music will greet walkers/runners/cyclists at the Sequim facility as a celebration for its opening.

Turner said the Sequim YMCA’s membership desk will open Oct. 10-21 from 10 a.m.-noon and 4-6 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, for visitors to fill out membership applications, drop them off and/or pick up YMCA key fobs.

“We will begin our monthly membership drafts on Nov. 1 (and) any member registering in October will receive Sequim YMCA access during operation hours through the end of October free of charge,” Turner said.

Air handler and operations

A big piece of the facility opening is an air handler to maintain air quality, humidity and chemicals in the pool area.

“We expect the new air handler to be completely installed by our full facility opening on Nov. 1,” Turner said.

Clallam County commissioners agreed on March 29 that $731,705 from the county’s Opportunity Fund go to replacing the aging infrastructure. Additionally, Clallam County Parks and Recreation District 1 commissioners voted 4-1 in May to accept a $273,151 grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce to switch the pool’s air handler from a propane boiler to an electric heat pump to cut down on fossil fuel use.

Len Borchers, CEO of the Olympic Peninsula YMCA, said current estimates will save at least $50,000 per year in electrical and propane costs, which will reduce overall operating costs and help ensure operations are sustainable into the future.

“The YMCA as well as Olympic Medical Center are both making additional investments in the facility to improve operations and provide members with enhanced services,” he said.

Borchers said Olympic Medical Center will sublet a 1,500-square-foot area near the main entry that formerly housed the child watch and cardio areas.

“They will customize the space for the services they will be providing and have access and use of other areas according to our agreement with them,” he said. “We are developing a special membership plan for OMC patients that will allow them to use the YMCA outside of their scheduled rehab center visits and to transition to full Y Members when their initial treatment is completed.”

Going forward, Borchers said the YMCA holds a long-term lease on SARC’s facility and is responsible for all operations and maintenance.

He said SARC’s board does not have any involvement in how the YMCA manages the facility or any involvement with its budget.

“These grants totaling slightly over $1 million are managed by SARC with accounting support from Clallam County and in direct consultation and collaboration with the YMCA,” Borchers said.

Weekly, representatives from the YMCA and SARC meet to review projects and schedule work to be done, making recommendations on subcontractors and reviewing recommendations from consultants, he said.

“This has been an extremely collaborative effort with everyone focused on maximizing the benefit of the grant funds to improve the mechanical and electrical systems throughout the building,” Borchers said.

As for the existing equipment in the building that the YMCA purchased, Borchers said staff have evaluated it, removed the oldest items, some duplicates and expensive items to maintain.

Surplus items will be stored, sold, traded, donated or held for later use, he said.

So far, Borchers said staff added 12 brand new spin cycles and upgraded four recumbent bikes with plans to install free weight benches.

Borchers said if for any reason the YMCA elected to terminate its lease with SARC early, it would leave equipment in the facility comparable to what was there when it took possession.

“We are making daily progress on facility renovations and have almost all of our staff hired and in training,” Borchers said.

In recent months, community volunteers have worked to ready the site, too, Borchers said, including Sequim’s Rotary clubs, Dungeness Valley Lutheran Church, Boys Scout troops, United Way of Clallam County and more.

For more information on the YMCA of Sequim, visit http://olympicpeninsulaymca.org.

Reach Matthew Nash at mnash@sequimgazette.com.

Terry Ward, publisher of Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum, serves on the YMCA board of directors.