The Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, "Within Reach," is reaching beyond the students of Penn State to the downtown businesses of State College.

The Loop will run 48 hours during Thon courtesy of Centre Area Transportation Authority and Kaufmann's Department Store, 2901 E. College Ave.

The Student Book Store, 330 E. College Avenue, will help support Thon by donating 10 percent of all its sales during the weekend. Other stores are also offering discounts for Thon participants or specializing in gifts for dancers.

This is the third year the Loop will run continuously during the dance marathon and this is the second year that CATA and Kaufmann's have partnered up to run the service. CATA hopes that with the buses running all weekend, people will go out to support the dancers.

"The best way to get people up there is for them to hop on the Loop," said Eric Bernier, CATA service director.

Three years ago, Bernier said, Thon's corporate relations committee approached CATA with the idea, and after some discussion, CATA decided to run the Loop throughout the weekend as long as Thon found another business to underwrite the venture. Kaufmann's stepped in to help.

"We like to support, and will do anything to support such a worthwhile cause," Bernier said. "Anyone who has seen this first hand knows how great the effort that (Thon participants) put in to help people that they don't even know."

Aside from donating 10 percent of all weekend sales, SBS also designed and donated hand towels for the dancers and committee members. This is the fourth year the store has made the donation.

Support from State College businesses has been very strong, said Elizabeth Stackhouse, overall marketing chairwoman for Thon, adding direct support from downtown stores has grown this year with some new sponsors.

"We have worked with Rapid Transit (Sports) for a lot of discounts for the dancers and committees," Stackhouse said. "I think that it is great that some stores are independently supporting Thon."

Kelly's Shoes, 126 E. College Ave., one of the stores independently supporting Thon, is also offering discounts to dancers who will be wearing the shoes on the floor. Sam Scheinberg, Kelly's Shoes proprietor, offered a 20 percent discount for the dancers. The Shoe Fly, 214 E. College Ave., is offering dancers and captains a 10 percent discount off of anything in the store.

"I think that everyone downtown should do something to support Thon — discounts, signs in windows, anything," said Ashley Smith, an employee of The Shoe Fly. "The town should support Thon."

And for the people who are supporting Thon, such as morale committee members or others who just want to support dancers they know, many businesses are selling supplies.

Stores such as Wild Card, 346 E. College Ave., and McLanahan's Student Store, 414 E. College Ave., are stocking up on fun things to entertain dancers.

Alan Schaffranek, Wild Card manager, said many people have come in to prepare gift boxes of toys or just to get fun gag gifts. Massage oils, glow in the dark balls and high bouncing balls have been popular gifts for dancers, Schaffranek said.

Some downtown businessmen said they are supporting Thon because of what the students are dancing for and how hard they work.

"The students are so great, so involved," said Grace Mehalick, McLanahan's manager. "They really do a lot of charity. What these kids do is nice to see."