Bishop Robert Deeley and Joe Valliere. Contributed photo

A Scout from Brunswick has raised nearly $11,000 toward his effort to replace the floor at St. Ambrose Church in Richmond, a project that would help him attain the rank of Eagle Scout.

Joe Valliere, 16, has surpassed his original $10,000 fundraising goal to replace the flooring of the narthex, chapel and altar at St. Ambrose Church, located on Kimball Street. The extra donations will all go toward purchasing a new sound system for the church.

“Thank you all for your encouragement, donations, and letters of thanks and praise to Joe,” said the Rev. Tom Murphy, pastor of All Saints Parish in Brunswick of which St. Ambrose is a part. “It is inspirational to see parishioners support Joe’s effort. It reveals how much we love one another.”

When it came time to decide on an Eagle Scout Service Project, Valliere knew immediately which organization he wanted to help.

“The basis for every Eagle Scout project is it has to benefit your community. Giving back to the Church seemed like a great idea because they have sponsored my troop and hosted our meetings on their property,” said Valliere, a proud member of Troop 648 who has participated in the Scouts since the first grade. “The St. Ambrose project was a project that I thought I could successfully accomplish.”

The project started in earnest last fall as Joe planned, organized and gained approval for the project.

“He presented his Eagle Scout project to the parish finance council in March and with a unanimous vote, the project was approved,” said Fr. Murphy.

“Planning it takes far more time than the actual replacement,” said Valliere, who consulted with Mike’s Flooring of Lisbon in assembling his proposal. “The new flooring will be carpet tiles as they are highly functional and can be replaced easily if damaged or worn.

“The replacement will take place in August and is estimated to take 10 days,” Valliere added. “Being able to complete my project will feel great. Obtaining the Eagle Rank is the pinnacle achievement of Boy Scouts.”

If you are able to donate, you can still do so online in the “St. Ambrose Carpet Replacement” section of allsaintsbrunswick.weshareonline.org. You can also mail donations (with “St. Ambrose Carpet Replacement” in the subject line) to: All Saints Parish, 144 Lincoln St., Bath, ME, 04530.