It’s a balmy 101 degrees on a Tuesday morning and Chris Towne is unlocking the prop shed at the Fountain Hills Theater. Inside, the sheds are filled to the brim with chairs, tables, fake plants, bed frames and other props used by the theater’s award-winning staff.

“One of my scoutmasters built two giant batting cages when he was an Eagle Scout and had to fundraise thousands of dollars to be able to buy all the equipment,” Towne said. “Whenever he goes home, he's just like, ‘Wow, I did that.’ That’s what I want to do here, except a little bit scaled down.”

As a senior patrol leader of Fountain Hills’ Troop 343, Towne is closing in on his Eagle Scout award before his 18th birthday on Oct. 1. For his Eagle project, he’s decided to build eight shelves to organize the shed’s contents and construct a wall with pegs on which to lean dozens of flats; plywood backdrops that set the scene for the theater’s many productions.

Towne said the wood and other supplies will be purchased from Paul’s Ace Hardware, which is offering him a 10%-15% discount for his project. Funds for the supplies will be raised through a car wash fundraiser in the Tractor Supply Company parking lot on Saturday, July 29, from 7 to 11 a.m. Towne has enlisted his friends, a few middle school Boy Scouts along with a few Scout parents to help him. When the project is complete, any unused funds raised from the carwash will be donated directly to the theater.

“I’m very proud and I’m very happy to have him so involved in the theater,” Linda Ferington said, Towne’s grandmother. For 34 years and counting, Ferington has been a stage manager for the Fountain Hills Theater and said the project will make things much easier for the theater staff.

“It’s just been a full circle,” Ferington said, who recalls when Towne performed in singing and dancing camps at the theater when he was younger.

Towne credits his project coach Paul Schneider for helping shape his project vision, Ray Duncan for creating a blueprint for the project and the Atkinson family for offering their time and space to prepare the project. Most of all, he’s thankful for his grandmother for taking care of him since he was two months old.

“I care about her so much,” Towne said of Ferington. “This theater needs it more than ever and I just want to go out with a bang. I want to do something really good.”

When Towne graduates high school, he hopes to attend Louisiana State University (LSU) to major in communications and minor in Mediterranean or Middle Eastern history. As a drum major for the FHHS Fighting Flock of Falcon Fury marching band, Towne is drawn to LSU because of its Grammy-nominated LSU Tiger Marching Band, the Golden Band from Tigerland. Towne also said he would like to pursue a law degree somewhere in Manhattan or Brooklyn and hopefully take a career in politics.

Those interested in supporting Towne in his Eagle Scout project can head over to Tractor Supply Company, 17130 E. Shea Blvd., on Saturday, July 29, from 7 to 11 a.m. to get a car wash. The price is $5 per car.