An anonymous Onset resident donned a purple Grateful Dead bear costume and hit the streets to cheer people up on Saturday.

“I just do it to make people smile and just to be able to engage in a positive way from a safe distance,” the bear said.

The bear was holding a tie-dyed poster. One side read “Free (virtual) Hugs) and the other read “We will get by” — a line from the uplifting Grateful Dead song “Touch of Grey.”

The bear reported seeing many smiling faces and exchanging waves with people as they drove or walked by.

“It just kind of made a difference just to lighten the mood a little bit and smile and wave and know everything's gonna be okay,” the bear said.