Being a volunteer for Sequim Wheelers always reminds Jeff Gurnee of Disneyland.

The theme park was where he met his wife Jean and they went there “hundreds of times,” he said – so many times that it eventually lost its magic. But when the couple had children and took them to the amusement park – and saw the look of wonder and excitement on their faces – the magic returned.

Those feelings come flooding back when he sees the expressions of those who are unable to pedal a bike but, thanks to Sequim Wheelers, can spend an hour breathing fresh air and taking in the beauty of the Olympic Discovery Trail.

“When you see these people, the expression on their face, how emotional they get, it really makes you smile,” said Gurnee, a retired school district maintenance electrician. “You’re seeing it through their eyes.”

Founded by Nicole Lepping, the volunteer-driven Sequim Wheelers utilizes a small fleet of adaptive e-bikes that include wheelchair bikes, a side-by-side Tandem and a 2-passenger Trishaw. E-bikes have an electric motor, battery and controls that provide an extra boost that makes it easier to travel longer distances or tackle hills.

Jean Gurnee, who also volunteers, said she was afraid she wouldn’t be strong enough to peddle for two. But after trying out the bikes at a 2023 open house event, she found that wasn’t the case at all.

Sequim Wheelers is hosting its annual open house on Saturday, April 19. It will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the parking lot of the Dungeness River Nature Center, 1943 W. Hendrickson Road. That is the location where rides by Sequim Wheelers begin and end. Typically, a volunteer cycles just ahead of the person with the passenger while another volunteer follows as part of safety measures.

Those who are interested in volunteering or who think they might want to consider it are encouraged to attend and try the bikes for themselves.

An orientation meeting for new volunteers will take place from 4-5:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 24 in the KSQM Community Meeting Room at 609 W. Washington St. (in the Sequim Village Shopping Center).

Lepping said the nonprofit currently has about 60 volunteers but is always looking for more.

This is Grant Herman’s third year volunteering for Sequim Wheelers. On average, he volunteers once a week.

“The organization is very organized and very service oriented,” he said. “When I first started, I didn’t know anything about it, and they did a wonderful job of training.”

There is a schedule, he said, and volunteers sign up for a minimum of two hours a month on the days and times of their choosing.

A retired college professor who taught environmental studies, Herman said that some riders enjoy chatting while others, oftentimes those with memory impairment, enjoy the ride in silence. Regular riders are pretty common, he said.

Volunteer Coordinator Char Reeves, who will be manning a booth at the open house where people can sign up to volunteer, is marking her first year with Sequim Wheelers. She said the organization is “a very worthy cause.”

“It’s a great way to help the community and also get my exercise at the same time,” she said. She added that the e-bikes are “very user friendly.”

Those unable to volunteer can support Sequim Wheelers financially. Reeves noted that the bikes “are getting older.”

For more information, visit sequimwheelers.com.