For more than 20 years, Robert McDonald brought his "good friend" Smokey the Bear and their shared message of forest fire safety and prevention to fourth-grade students in Banks and Hall counties. And when McDonald, his wife and others took turns donning the bulky bear suit at such gatherings, his message was always the same: "Only YOU can prevent forest fires." Whether it was fire safety or putting out blazes himself, the former supervisor of the Banks-Hall County Unit of the Georgia Forestry Commission in Lula — who died Feb. 22 at 76 after a long battle with cancer — will be remembered for his dedication and kindness.