"Only you can prevent forest fires" and only Ken Barker can prevent the rest of the world from claiming New Jersey in Sconda Hoodies Across America, and that's just what he did. In one of the most memorable photos of the contest Ken palled up with a famous bear in Cape May for this portrait.
While most folks refer to this fire fighting Black Bear as "Smokey the Bear", his official name is just Smokey Bear. This is a misconception the United States Forest Service has been battling and losing ever since songwriters Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins wrote the hit "Smokey the Bear". According to Wikipedia the duo said they added "the" to Smokey's name to "keep the song's rhythm".
Smokey Bear, the public educator, was born in 1944, but it wasn't until a real bear cub got caught up a tree and rescued during a New Mexico forest fire in 1950 that the now classic character really became an American icon.
Thanks to Ken we all know a little more about our furry friend Smokey and we know Ken is a sucker for the beach in winter…who can blame him, no crowds and no sunburn. This state tied him with Zach Zimmerman at four states a piece, but Ken was in a New York state of mind after this pit stop.
