Evansville Community Opened Kindness Rock Garden
A new garden at Caldwell Park honors the memory of Ben Parker with 400 hand-painted stones.
Updated on Sept. 28, 2026 in Philanthropy
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Community members and local organizations gathered to unveil a new kindness rock garden at Caldwell Park in the Glenwood Neighborhood. The project features more than 400 hand-painted rocks placed around a tree to inspire hope.
Why it matters
The initiative was created to promote kindness throughout the local area by honoring the memory of Ben Parker. It serves as a visual reminder of community values and collective effort.
Volunteers contributed over 400 hand-painted rocks to the site following a year-long painting initiative. This project represents the total initial installation effort across the garden area.
The players
JD Sheth Foundation
This organization partnered to facilitate the creation of the kindness garden.
Keep Evansville Beautiful
The group collaborated on the park project to help foster community spirit.
Rocks-Four-Ben
This entity was involved in the collaborative effort to honor the memory of Ben Parker.
Ben Parker
The kindness garden serves as a memorial for the individual who passed away in 2017.
The details
The garden is the result of a year-long collaboration between the JD Sheth Foundation, Keep Evansville Beautiful, and Rocks-Four-Ben. Volunteers spent the past year holding painting parties to prepare the stones before installing them at the park.
Timeline
Ben Parker passed away in 2017.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on September 28, 2026.
Market Landscape
This project follows a pattern of local memorialization established following the 2017 death of Ben Parker. The collaborative effort positions these organizations as leaders in community-driven public art projects within Evansville.
Residents can now visit the garden at Caldwell Park to view the installation in the Glenwood Neighborhood. Organizers are currently planning future painting parties and additional garden sites in other local parks.
The takeaway
Memorial projects like this demonstrate how long-term community partnerships can transform public spaces into symbols of shared values. Residents interested in supporting these efforts can look for future opportunities to contribute through planned rock painting events.
Further reading
Learn more about community support efforts in Evansville Philanthropy.
Source note: This article includes information reported by 14news.
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