Racing down the halls of White Building, weary dancers dove headfirst onto a powder-covered mat where an eager morale team stood ready to massage their aching bones.

And that was just the bathroom break.

Morale team members not only provided emotional support for dancers in the Interfraternity Council's Dance Marathon, but also administered an occasional rub-down.

"(The massages) keep me loose and it feels great, especially after dancing for 12 hours," said Eric Hanes (sophomore-economics).

More than 500 students danced in the 17th annual marathon to raise money for the Hershey Medical Center's Four Diamonds Fund.

Aside from the 272 couples who participated, an additional 350 people served as the "morale team" -- a group of peers who helped keep the dancers moving for their 48-hour workout.

Team members were selected after an application and interview process which included questions on how to deal with hallucinations, the result of prolonged sleeplessness, said David Dapko, the Morale Committee chairman.

"We were looking for enthusiasm, motivation, and good listeners and talkers," said Dapko. About 600 people applied for the team, he added.

Working in four shifts lasting three hours each, individual members were assigned to a specific dance couple, said morale team member Cinnamon Pauletich (sophomore-French).

"You can't ignore the dancers," she said. To deal with the hallucinations, the morale member first must determine what the exhausted dancer is seeing and then convince them the hallucination is not really there, she added.

In an effort to break the ice between dancers, morale team leaders conducted opening night games. One activity required multiple couples to stand in a circle and join hands with someone across the circle. They then contorted their bodies to untangle the human knot and restore the perfect circle.

For those tired of the non-stop music, game tables provided endless amusement. Living a child's dream, the dancers enjoyed everything from slinkies and comics to jump ropes and paddle and ball games.

Team members also joined in the games. They grooved along with the dancers, went on "food runs," and took outdoor walks with the couples to reintroduce them to fresh air. Massages constituted a large part of the team's efforts, though, they said.

"Sometimes people were afraid to ask us to massage their feet," said Heather Kirkey (junior-quantitative business analysis) "But I've been massaging all day."

Echoing the comments of her fellow morale team member, Kim Bumbaugh said she gave many foot massages, but added, "I don't mind at all".

Structured activities also occupied dancers' minds. The team planned or helped with such events as the "Laverne and Shirley" lip-synch and graffiti hour, when participants scribbled on each other's temporarily-white T-shirts with markers.

All the morale team's efforts did not go unnoticed.

"If not for the morale team, no one would make it. They would do anything for anyone," said Chris O'Connor (freshman-Russian), a dancer.