Square Peg Foundation

Bringing the Xmas Stoke – QuirkyXmas

“Turn your words into truth and then turn that truth into love“ AS by Stevie Wonder

Saturday, Dec 20, our second annual QuirkyXmas went off at Santa’s Tree Farm in Half Moon Bay. 570+ people pre-registered

Square Peg Foundation was responding to a need we saw in the community for autism families to be able to enjoy a holiday event laden with the spirit of the season. But in the spirit of Square Peg, we wanted FUN and INCLUSION to be our central themes. Our goal is for families to be able to choose their own experience and to have those choices honored with generosity and service. No lines, no judgement, no reaching into your pocket for money, no worries, no agenda. 

Just fun and play – what surfers the world over call “The Stoke.”

 An offshore warmness wrapped the Christmas tree farm like a hug and the rain held off.

Families wandered in  – no official door – no agenda – no requirements  – no handouts – just generous offerings and the Stoke. What families observed was staff in silly pajamas, firemen welcoming them, people visiting, people hugging, people laughing, dogs on leashes, silly decorations– and music everywhere.

“Would you like a train ride? A hot dog? How about face painting? Santa is here if you’d like to visit. Would you like to dance or maybe hop in the firetruck and ring the brass bell?”

Santa was played by a young man with autism. The musicians – all autistic. The food – free. Just the spirit of generosity everywhere. No lines, no gifts. Just play and care. Look for stars hidden all over the 70 acre farm and redeem them for a sticker of your choice. 

Entire families showed up in their pajamas. Silly and lighthearted.

Ride the train – again and again if you like. Visit the quiet sensory room and stay as long as you need to. Bobby the train conductor says QuirkyXmas is the only day where everyone on the train is smiling all the time.

The fireman brought their engine and their enthusiasm. One young man climbed into the truck and refused to leave. Rather than panic or try to make him leave,  they brought his mom a hotdog. He stayed in the engine for hours and peacefully left at the end of the event.

The Firemen told us that last year they talked about the event for months and that this year, they noticed that it wasn’t just the kids that were smiling, this year, even the parents were smiling. They couldn’t imagine that the event could be better– but it was.

The Dream Achievers band played Uptown, Funk, Gangnam Style -fun and funky hits as well as Christmas staples. Nick Guzman sang originals and folk favorites. Dancing was the order of the day.

Those who know me well know that Christmas is not my favorite holiday. Short days are hard on my psyche and the commercialization of the season bores and frustrates me. But Square Peg brought The Stoke yesterday. We lived up to our values. We walked our talk about celebrating, about serving with dignity, about the healing power of laughter and play.

Towards the end of the event, some people stopped me, two young couples, one with a baby. They were at the Christmas tree farm to buy a tree. 

“Excuse me? Can you tell us what’s happening here?“

“It’s QuirkyXmas a celebration of Neurodiversity.

Come hear the band and have a hotdog !“ I answered.

They did.

QuirkyXmas – it’s a thing.

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Special thanks goes to Chaos Co-ordinator Joe McIntyre for the herculean task or organizing

Other thanks go to Santa’s Christmas Tree Farm for hosting the event, San Francisco Autism Society , Bodas Construction , Sam’s Chowder House , Mezza Luna , Brush Hog Tree Care Inc. , Allcove , Coast Pride , Meadowcroft Winery, Ocean Element and TomKat Education Foundation . Thank you to our musicians Dream Achiever Band and Nick Guzman. Our friends at Flamin’ Dogs brought their food and their care (you just gotta go and visit their deli in Redwood City).

A special thank you goes out to the Kenaston Family for their donation in honor of Renate Kenaston who passed earlier this year. Godspeed Omi, we hope we made you proud.

An essay by Emma Bond about our beloved horse, Moso

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Moso is blind.

He arrived at Square Peg half-blind, due to a large cataract that formed in his right eye in his younger days. At 20, his seeing eye developed issues, so into the trailer he went, headed for UC Davis Vet hospital.

Ever the stoic presence, Moso stood patiently as the bright young Doctor Park examined his eye. She turned to us, paused, and went to grab the head of Ophthalmology. When she whispered her findings, the doctor made a face and began her own lengthy study of Moso’s eye.

We knew then that this was not a simple infection or scrape.

The head ophthalmologist confirmed Dr. Park’s findings. His sighted eye had a condition that caused extreme pressure fluctuation of the eye (read; pain). That day, his pressure reading was double the normal. And in a 24 hour period, his vision, eye pressure, and ultimately, level of pain was constantly and unpredictably fluctuating.

I was struck by the weight of how much our horses give. How many hours has Moso silently spent in migraine-like pain, while also kindly showing up for the humans who grow to rely on his steady presence and smooth rides for their regulation? How is it possible for countless horses to push aside pain to continue performing every day at a world class level for humans?

The doctors explained that the medical treatment available would involve two kinds of eye drops, four times a day, for the rest of his life. She added that even with that level of treatment, the outcome was iffy at best regarding pain management and vision. 

“What about removing the eye?” I inquired. 

Dr. Park’s face relaxed, knowing I understood what we were dealing with and that she would not have to be the first person to utter such news. She wouldn’t have to convince me to do what is best for our horse.

“Yes, that is the most humane option” she replied.

I excused myself to call Joell. We both knew the only way to guarantee pain relief was removal. The phone went silent as we processed that part of our duty in stewarding our horses is making the decision to remove Moso’s sight, in order to give him the most comfort we can.

Humans are visual creatures and we are deeply connected to inserting ourselves and our experiences into a situation. Heck, most biologists agree that these two traits are what allowed the human animal to create the deep social connections needed to form the robust society we have today.

Removing Moso’s sight forever felt like a tragic decision at first. I was divinely uncomfortable at the thought of taking away what little sight he had left. But, Moso isn’t human. He’s a horse. Our relationship has always lived somewhere beyond boundaries. This decision had to be made in a space that wasn’t centering on my human experience. Instead, it had to center on our sweet Moso’s comfort.

We have to set aside our (dare I say, ableist) projections of what sight means to a body, and remember a horse lives in attunement with the world through all of the senses. Their sense of smell is many times better than dogs. They can hear a heartbeat from yards away and can sense carpet or rocks or soft beach sand beneath their strong hooves

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I won’t deny that part of me hoped for a few more years of Moso giving our service users their first canters, of sitting on his strong back as he boldly marches down the trail. We humans grieve what we imagine we’d lose, but Moso will not. He will adjust, as horses always do, with grace and trust, navigating his world through the senses that have never failed him.

Moso is blind. What feels like loss to us is, for him, the return of comfort, of quiet.

We settled Moso into his stall to await his surgery time. We felt our love for him in every cell of our bodies as he searched all our pockets for food. We cried, we laughed, recounting together the hours of shared adventures. We leaned into our human-ness and showed him pictures of his horse friends, his favorite people, and lots of photos of fresh green grass. Just in case he can make out images on a phone screen.

As we gathered ourselves to leave, we turned and reassured him “You’ll see us later!”

Realizing that was not quite accurate we ventured “….. you’ll feel us later?”

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Our friends at The Horse Boy Foundation have started a Go Fund Me to help defray the costs of the surgery and his recovery. You can contribute here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/therapy-horse-moso-needs-your-help

Join us for a very special evening. Rescued Hearts documentary film is unforgettable. Sunday, July 13 at 2:30pm – at the historic Sebastiani Theater in Sonoma. Tickets are $35

Through the generosity of Kaiser Permanente and The Scholars Academy, we are able to bring this film to you at the historic Sebastiani Theater on Sunday, July 13, at 2:30pm. Meet the filmmakers Dana Croshere and Krisanna Sexton and learn about exciting news for Square Peg Foundation.

Tickets are selling FAST – so get yours here: https://www.sebastianitheatre.org/music/2025/5/12/937jx1rm8pczp3ka2x74phy988lsjy

We’re just 12 days away from the final giving day of Coastside Gives 2025, and while we’re not yet close to our $50,000 goal, we believe we can get there—with your help.

Once again another generous donor has stepped up with a $5,000 matching grant for this final stretch!

Your support will directly fund:

• Hay, feed, and medical care for our rescued and retired Thoroughbreds

• Scholarships for families who rely on Square Peg’s inclusive programs

• Instructor development and training for our adaptive approach

• Joy, purpose, and healing for neurodivergent youth and their families

We still have time. We still have heart. And we know our community can come together to make this happen.

Let’s finish strong—for the horses, for the kids, for the future we’re building together.

With gratitude and hope,

#TeamQuirky

We’re reaching out with open hearts—because we’re falling behind on our $50,000 goal for Coastside Gives, and we need your help to get there.

Every dollar helps us rewrite the story—for horses and for humans.

If you believe in the power of second chances and the impact of a caring community, now is the time to stand with us.

We can’t do this without you, and together, we can change the lives of both the horses and the humans who rely on Square Peg.

This is more than just a campaign—it’s an opportunity to create something lasting, something that truly matters.

Will you be part of this journey?

This year, Square Peg is setting an ambitious goal—to raise $50,000 to continue our mission of providing a safe and joyful space for retired racehorses and neurodiverse families.

Coastside Gives 2025 Giving Day is May 1st, but early giving starts April 1st—let’s make this our biggest year yet!

How You Can Help:

 Donate – Every dollar brings us closer to sustaining and expanding our mission. 

 Share Our Story – Amplify our message by sharing our campaign with friends and family. Your voice can help us reach new supporters!

 Fundraise for Us on Social Media – Coastside Gives makes it easy to create your own fundraising page and rally your community to support Square Peg. A few clicks can go a long way!

 Get Involved – Volunteer, attend our events or visit us and experience the magic firsthand.