PERRYSBURG, OH (Toledo News Now) - Every year at halftime of the Maumee vs Perrysburg basketball game Perrysburg seniors swarm outside of the gym to swallow goldfish.
"It's a tradition. Everyone has been doing it for years," said Perrysburg senior McKenzie Snyder.
"If I didn't, I would feel bad. You have to," said senior Sarah Schaller.
The students used to do it inside on the court, but things got real messy.
"It didn't taste like much, but you could feel it wiggling all the way down your throat," said senior Mary James.
Maumee and Perrysburg have been intense rivals over the years and legend has it Maumee wore uniforms resembling goldfish. So, Perrysburg Seniors felt taht eating Maumee colors would lead to a win.
But animal rights group PETA says goldfish feel pain and stress when eaten alive.
"They're going to be eaten by another animal if they see them," said Sarah.
Before the game, Perrysburg students shot t-shirts into the crowd with a compassionate message on the back reading, "Fish are friends not food."
"Tradition, I feel you have to do it. If you don't do it before you go to college, you let down your fellow people," said senior J.C. Mufty.
Perrysburg High School Principal Dr. Michael Short says he'd rather not see seniors swallowing goldfish, but rather make good, responsible, healthy choices.
He says no one is getting in trouble, besides if you tell students "you can't do it" more of them will do it anyway.
