FRANKLIN, Maine — A local building contractor is putting up a reward for information about the theft of copper piping from a Habitat for Humanity home construction project earlier this month.

Broughman Builders of Ellsworth has promised a $500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the recent theft. Broughman Builders was involved in the Extreme Makeover project in Milbridge in 2007.

“Who in their right mind would do something like this, especially to an organization that is trying to help people in their community?” said company president Mike Wight.

He said they were happy to put up the money and would be even happier to pay the reward if those responsible can be found.

His wife, Daisy Wight, said that since the Extreme Makeover show, they have been keeping an eye on local projects and had been talking about the Habitat project. She indicated she was disturbed to think that someone would steal from an organization that’s trying to benefit somebody else.

“I’d love to see them find out who did it,” she said.

Habitat for Humanity has been working since last summer to build a new home for Fred and April Rummil and their three children. The home is located on a building site off the Eastbrook Road.

Students at the Mountain View School in Sullivan — where two of the Rummil children are students — and from the Peninsula School in Winter Harbor have begun a “copper for copper” penny drive to help cover the costs of the new piping.

“Copper for copper” donations also are being collected at The Jackson Laboratory where Fred Rummil works as a mouse colony manager.

A work day is scheduled at the building site for Saturday, May 30.

Meanwhile, police continue to search for a suspect in the case.

“The copper was taken from the house,” said Deputy Chris Thornton of the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department. “The copper was inside the house, but it is under construction and it wasn’t closed up.”

The theft took place sometime between 3 p.m. Saturday, May 9, and 9 a.m. Sunday, May 10, Mother’s Day, when it was discovered missing. Thornton valued the stolen copper at about $154.

Thornton said people could call anonymously if they have information and even if they don’t have the name of a suspect.

“They can just tell us where the copper is,” he said. “We just want to get the copper back.”

Anyone with information can contact Thornton at the Sheriff’s Department, 667-7575.