One of philanthropy’s mottoes is, “If you see something that needs doing, do it!” Bill Moreau, a major stroke victim, enjoyed walking the banks of Lowell’s historic canals, a system of waterworks dug in the early 19th century at the confluence of the rapidly-descending Merrimack and Concord Rivers, to power huge industrial textile mills. A birthplace of our Industrial Revolution, the designed city of Lowell at mid-century was the second-largest city in New England, the world’s largest power-canal system, running factories employing 10,000 workers, including the famous “Lowell girls.” After a long decline, Lowell became the first American city to be declared a National Historic Park (1978). Recovery has been slow, and Bill noticed the mess of debris in the canals. So in the great American philanthropic tradition he organized a voluntary association in January 2005, to clean it up. Bill is evidently quite persuasive — last year 140 volunteers logged 1,200 hours to pick up 250 garbage bags of trash plus many unbaggables, with tools of their own devising. He has the cooperation of the City and the National Parks, the media, an education program, and he’s talking with the owners of the canals — Boott Hydropower — about long-term solutions. Let his story inspire you.