Carson Hughes Foundation, Inc

10/28/2026

10/18/2026

🎁 Looking for a meaningful gift while supporting two great causes? We’ve got you covered! ❤️

A quick reminder that we still have 2027 Carson Hughes Photography calendars available for purchase!

📅 2027 Calendars — $25 each
✨ Buy 5, Get 1 FREE!
📦 Shipping is available for an additional fee.

💌 Handmade Notecards Featuring Carson’s Photography — $15
Each set includes 8 handmade notecards, with envelopes, featuring Carson’s beautiful photography. These are a special way to share a little piece of Carson’s talent with others.

❤️ 100% of proceeds from the calendars and notecards go directly to the Carson Hughes Foundation, supporting initiatives and projects we know Carson would be proud of.

🧩 Looking for something for the puzzle lover in your life?

Friends of Versailles State Park still has Carson Hughes Photography puzzles available! Choose from two beautiful images:

🦅 812 Eagle
🖼️Painting from God

Puzzles are $15 each, and proceeds go directly back to the Friends of Versailles State Park to support projects and improvements at the park we all love.

Every purchase helps keep Carson’s legacy alive while supporting causes close to his heart. Whether you’re shopping for the holidays, a birthday, or just because, your purchase makes a difference!

📣 If you’ve previously expressed interest in purchasing calendars, notecards, or puzzles, now is a great time to reach out so we can make arrangements for payment and/or pickup! Shipping is also available for an additional fee.

Thank you for continuing to support Carson’s legacy and the places that meant so much to him. ❤️

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdHpgkdpjimxzfUQEZNRj1wgiDW6I12-B-0uxU9nGCas249Gg/viewform

10/16/2026

We found a message in Carson’s phone saying how he just wanted to help Versailles State Park be the best it could… through this sponsorship, we are able to help the Friends of Versailles State Park create a magical event. AND… funds raised this year are going towards making Otter Trail accessible for the new track chair.

Carson loved how his photography could bring nature to people that couldn’t get out and see it for themselves… much the same way helping to make Otter Trail accessible opens up nature to those that can’t physically hike.

Consider supporting such a meaningful cause.

✨🎄 A HUGE THANK YOU Carson Hughes Foundation, Inc for their Platinum Sponsorship! They are joining us for their second year in a row! 🎄✨

We are so grateful to have community partners like Carson’s foundation helping make this event possible!

Last year, Santa’s Lighted Forest was a HUGE hit, and thanks to the incredible support of our community, we’re making it even bigger this year! ❤️

Santa’s Lighted Forest is expanding to FOUR magical nights:
🎅 December 4 & 5
🎅 December 11 & 12

But the magic of Santa’s Lighted Forest goes beyond the lights. 💚 Funds raised through this event are being used by the Friends of Versailles State Park to help make Otter Trail accessible for the new track chair.

Our goal is simple: to open up the beauty of nature to those who may not have had the opportunity to experience our park from the trails. 🌲🦋

And we can’t wait to see what the Carson Hughes Foundation comes up with as they decorate their own campsite! 🎄✨ What better way to spread some holiday cheer while getting creative and showcasing your organization to everyone who visits Santa’s Lighted Forest?

🎁 Want to join in on the magic?
We’d love to have you be part of Santa’s Lighted Forest! Whether you’re interested in sponsoring, decorating a campsite, or both, message us to learn more.

Together, we’re creating holiday memories and making nature more accessible for everyone. ❤️🌲

10/13/2026

🍂 September was a BUSY month for the Carson Hughes Foundation! 🍂

From the Carson Hughes Memorial Ride to Bricktoberfest, you showed up BIG to honor Carson, celebrate his legacy, and support the foundation. We are so grateful for every single one of you who continues to show up for Carson. ❤️

At Bricktoberfest, we released a few new images from Carson’s collection that some of you may have never seen before. So, I wanted to take a moment to share one of those special photographs with you. 📸

We don’t know what Carson would have named this one, but we’ve come up with a name of our own: “Signs of Autumn.” 🍁

Carson always wanted people to look at his photographs and feel as though they were right there beside him in the moment he captured them. And this beautiful image, taken at Versailles State Park, does exactly that.

You can almost feel the crisp morning air, the warmth of the sun on your face, and smell that unmistakable scent of autumn in the air. And then there’s that little turtle sitting on the log… 🐢 Honestly, it might be the cutest turtle I’ve ever laid eyes on! 🥹❤️

This may be one of my very favorite images of Carson’s. I’ve always loved fall — the cooler temperatures, the changing leaves, and that fresh, crisp feeling in the air. There’s just something special about this time of year, and somehow, Carson captured it all in one frame.

🍂 Looking for the perfect fall photograph to hang on your wall? Look no further!

The soft, muted colors of Signs of Autumn make it a beautiful, versatile piece that would complement so many different decorating styles. Whether you’re looking to bring a little of the outdoors into your home or simply love the peaceful beauty of fall, this image is one worth taking a closer look at.

And the best part? 100% of the proceeds from Carson’s photography purchases go directly to the Carson Hughes Foundation, helping us continue the work of honoring Carson and keeping his legacy alive.

Sometimes, a photograph is more than just a picture. It’s a feeling. A memory. A moment you wish you could step right back into.

That’s what Carson wanted his photography to do. And I think he would be pretty happy knowing this little turtle is still bringing people into one of his autumn mornings at Versailles State Park. 🍁❤️

📸 Explore Carson’s photography at carsonhughesphotography.com

If you live local to southeast IN, be sure to click the green local order tab.

10/11/2026

Today’s grief hike was one of those days that reminds me why I keep showing up. The weather was perfect, the air was brisk, and the leaves are just beginning to show off their beautiful fall colors. But as always, the best part wasn’t the scenery… it was the company.

We welcomed new faces, reunited with old friends, shared fellowship, and made space for one another. And while I didn’t have anything prepared to share today, something beautiful happened anyway.

People thanked me for being honest. For reminding them that some days are just bad days, and that’s OK. ❤️

I’m learning that I can’t be everything for everybody. I can’t always be the strong one, the encourager, or the person who has the right words to say. Sometimes, I have to admit that my own cup is empty, too.

And today, I think I was blessed on those trails in a way I didn’t even know I needed. Instead of pouring from my empty cup, I was given the opportunity to be watered by the people around me. ❤️

Maybe that’s what these hikes are really about. Not having all the answers. Not pretending we’re OK when we aren’t. But showing up as we are, walking alongside people who understand that grief doesn’t follow a schedule, and reminding one another that we don’t have to do this alone.

To everyone who joined us today, thank you. Thank you for your honesty, your kindness, your stories, and for allowing me to be human right alongside you. You gave me more than you probably realize. 💚

Whether your loss is recent or you’ve been carrying it for years, whether you feel like talking or just need to walk quietly beside someone who understands, there’s a place for you here. We’d love to have you join us next month! 🍂

📅 November 8
📍 Pool Parking Lot at Versailles State Park
🥾 We’ll be hiking Shadow Run!

You don’t have to have it all together. You just have to show up.

We hope to see you on the trails. 🧡🤎

10/01/2026

🍂 October’s Photo of the Month takes us to Cataloochee Valley in the Great Smoky Mountains! 🦌

Carson had always dreamed of experiencing the elk rut, so he planned a special father-son getaway with to make it happen. They spent four nights sleeping in the back of the truck, enduring the rain, cold temperatures, and whatever else Mother Nature had in store. But what they came home with were memories. ❤️

There is something truly special about seeing Carson in his element, doing what he loved most. His passion for photography was about so much more than capturing a beautiful picture. It was about the experiences, the unexpected encounters with wildlife, witnessing breathtaking landscapes, and appreciating the beauty of God’s creation. You can see the love he poured into every photograph.

We are so incredibly thankful Carson had the opportunity to experience this adventure and that he left us with these beautiful images to enjoy and share. While we wish we could have made so many more memories like this together, we’re grateful for the ones we have and the glimpses they give us into a world Carson loved so much.

We absolutely love these fall images from Cataloochee Valley and thought they were the perfect choice for October’s Photo of the Month!

🍁 Take a moment to enjoy the beauty through Carson’s lens.

09/29/2026

TOMORROW IS THE LAST DAY!

Wednesday, September 30 at 11:59 PM, the online store closes for Carson Hughes Photography apparel and the latest Carson Hughes Memorial Ride design! ❤️

If you’ve been meaning to order, now is the time! Choose your favorite colors, styles, and designs, then select local pickup or shipping at checkout.

And if you’re local, I’d be happy to pick up your order and deliver it to you! Just send me a message after you place your order. ❤️

These will make great Christmas gifts, too! 🎄🎁

Shop before the store closes tomorrow at 11:59 PM!

Thank you for continuing to support Carson’s legacy and helping us keep his love of photography alive. 📸❤️

Online ordering for Carson Hughes Memorial Ride 2026 Apparel ends on Wed, Sep 30, 2026 (11:59 PM EDT)

09/24/2026

Through funding from your generous support and the Tarter & Herman/Crum Grant, we were able to purchase a dual-viewer spotting scope for the Osgood Trails.

A huge thank you to the staff at the Town of Osgood, for all of their help preparing the area and installing the spotting scope.

This area is also home to a tree that Patterson's Nursery planted last year in honor of Carson. ❤️ It’s incredibly meaningful to see this space continue to take shape in a place that meant so much to him.

And we’re not finished yet… an interpretive sign is up next, helping tell the story of Carson, his love of nature, wildlife, and photography.

We hope this becomes a place where people can slow down, take a breath, appreciate the beauty of nature, and use the spotting scope to get a closer look at the wildlife that calls the trails home. 🦌🦅🦊

Osgood Trails was actually the first place Carson took his spotting scope to begin practicing. It wasn’t long before he was spotting eagles, foxes, and so much more at the trails.

It feels incredibly special to now have a spotting scope here for others to experience some of the same moments Carson loved so much.

Slow down. Look closer. Appreciate the beauty around you. ❤️

09/22/2026

We are proud to present Jac-Cen-Del Soccer with a tent to use throughout the season! This tent will give the players and coaches a place to get some much-needed shade from the sun and shelter from the rain while cheering on and playing hard for our Eagles.

Carson played soccer for the Eagles, so being able to give back to the soccer program that was such a big part of his life makes this donation especially special to us. ❤️

We’ve been looking for meaningful and useful ways to continue giving back to the programs and community that helped shape Carson, and we hope this tent will serve the JCD soccer family for many seasons to come.

Play hard. Cheer loud. Make memories. 🦅⚽️❤️🤍🩵