These little piggies went to the races.

The Wareham Middle School auditorium became a fast-paced racetrack (well, a racetrack anyway) Wednesday morning as students lined up with their elaborately decorated mechanical pigs.

The event is the brainchild of the Middle School Parent Teacher Association, and is a reward for homerooms.

"If half the kids in the homeroom raise money for the PTA, they get a pig," explained Assistant Principal Sandy Ponte.

And then?

"Madness ensues."

The kids lined up at half court and let their pigs go when they got the word. As the crowd cheered wildly, a little purple porker pulled away from the pack.

Toni Thatcher's class won the race with its pig Midnight Dazzle. The class was dressed in purple and wearing fake purple mustaches to show their support for the four-legged, engine-driven athlete.

Thatcher says she's won in years past, and part of what motivates the kids in her class to do the fundraising that qualifies them for the race is the display of pig trophies from years past in her classroom.

"I have several pigs, and they wanted to know how to get one," said Thatcher.

The answer was simple: "Raise money."