On his way to Times Square, Hank the Horse returns to Doylestown for hometown visit

Michele Haddon, Bucks County Courier Times
·3 min read

At 1,400 pounds, there’s nothing small about Hank.

From his flashy grin to his big heart, he has a way of spreading cheer and inspiring those who meet him.

It was certainly the case Monday afternoon as people gathered around Broad Commons Park in Doylestown Borough, full of smiles, waiting their turn to greet the horse with a gentle stroke of his face and a quick selfie.

Savannah Wood, 3, of Doylestown, greets Hank the Horse at Broad Commons Park in Doylestown Borough, during the 1,400-pound Tennessee Walker horse's visit on Monday, November 28, 2022. Hank, who is the brand ambassador for the nonprofit, For Hank's Sake, stopped in Doylestown on his way to Times Square in New York City for Giving Tuesday.
Savannah Wood, 3, of Doylestown, greets Hank the Horse at Broad Commons Park in Doylestown Borough, during the 1,400-pound Tennessee Walker horse's visit on Monday, November 28, 2022. Hank, who is the brand ambassador for the nonprofit, For Hank's Sake, stopped in Doylestown on his way to Times Square in New York City for Giving Tuesday.

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The visit was a stop along the way for Hank and his team before heading off to Times Square in New York City early the next morning to officially kick off Giving Tuesday in support of The Salvation Army.

“Horses have the power to heal, to inspire compassion among people and that compassion inspires action. We’re teaching lessons on giving and we’re happy to be able to travel around to do that,” said Tammi Jo Regan, Hank’s mom and owner.

It was a message she learned quickly more than a decade ago upon meeting Hank.

Regan was visiting Kentucky, when she found and rescued the neglected and starved Tennessee Walking horse 11 years ago. He was three years old and weighed just 600 pounds at the time.

“The day I met Hank, alone in a muddy pasture, was the day I became an equestrian,” said Regan, an entrepreneur and business consultant from Doylestown with no prior experience with horses.

“It took seven months to get him healthy enough to travel with him up to Bucks County,” she said.

Hank, a 1,400-pound Tennessee Walker horse, greets his owner, Tammi Jo Regan, during their visit to Broad Commons Park in Doylestown Borough on Monday, November 28, 2022. Hank, who is the brand ambassador for the nonprofit, For Hank's Sake, stopped in Doylestown on his way to Times Square in New York City for Giving Tuesday.
Hank, a 1,400-pound Tennessee Walker horse, greets his owner, Tammi Jo Regan, during their visit to Broad Commons Park in Doylestown Borough on Monday, November 28, 2022. Hank, who is the brand ambassador for the nonprofit, For Hank's Sake, stopped in Doylestown on his way to Times Square in New York City for Giving Tuesday.

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Back home in Doylestown, Regan founded For Hank’s Sake, at first as a corporation, before it gained its nonprofit status in 2018. It has since expanded and moved to Paris, Kentucky, where it includes more than 80 horses today and Hank stands as the brand ambassador.

The organization is committed to rescuing neglected and unwanted horses, while harnessing their power and beauty to inspire and encourage children.

Hank visits libraries, schools and charitable events throughout the country, bringing happiness through books to children while raising money charities along the way. Throughout his five years as a public service horse, Hank has raised more than $41,000 for several organizations, including the $25,000 he has brought in as a bell ringer for The Salvation Army.

Walter Blair, of Doylestown, left, strokes Hank the Horse, while guided by the horse's owner, Tammi Jo Regan, at Broad Commons Park in Doylestown Borough, during the 1,400-pound Tennessee Walker horse's visit on Monday, November 28, 2022. Hank, who is the brand ambassador for the nonprofit, For Hank's Sake, stopped in Doylestown on his way to Times Square in New York City for Giving Tuesday.

“Being able to come back to our hometown where it was started, we’ve come full circle and it feels really good,” Regan said of the Doylestown visit. “It has such a Hallmark feel here, so what better place to stop during the holidays.”

Hank has been a bell ringer for four years now, but this will be his first national appearance and visit to Times Square.

“Our message really is about second chances,” Regan said. “He was a forsaken horse. So many people feel forsaken. Our nation’s most vulnerable need our help right now, and Hank is a champion for hope and joy.”

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This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Rescued Hank the Horse spreads message of joy with hometown visit to Doylestown