Dancing for 48 hours straight does not do a body good, and students this weekend will need all the help they can get to quench thirsts, quiet stomachs, comfort feet and conquer boredom.

That's why local businesses are donating everything from massages to frappuccinos as the area gears up for the Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon. In all, around 200 area and corporate businesses will contribute to Thon.

"At hour 30, when you're starting to hallucinate, you need something to keep you going," said Matt Thomas, overall Thon morale chair.

He said moralers have been working hard despite the weather to pick up favorite toys, magazines and games to entertain the dancers.

Norm Brown, manager of the Student Book Store, 330 E. College Ave., said the store has already donated such novelties as noisemakers and beach balls, as well as poster board for signs. Brown said the store will give 10 percent of its gross sales this weekend to Thon.

Thomas said tennis balls are probably the most popular item requested by dancers because they can use them to massage weary feet or throw back and forth.

To help work out the various kinks, twists and cramps encountered by dancers, David Wolin, owner of the Central Pennsylvania School of Massage, 336 S. Fraser St., is sending 30 students and instructors to Thon to give neck, back and foot massages. The school also trains moralers in massage techniques beforehand, so more dancers can get relief, he said.

"Sometimes we get backed up," Wolin said.

The main job of the moralers is to maintain the dancers' health and safety by providing nutritious, high-energy fare such as PowerBars and Gatorade when they start to look woozy, Thomas said.

However, a few greasy indulgences like pizza will be on hand thanks to shops like Canyon Pizza, 260 E. Beaver Ave. Manager Mike Fry said the shop will deliver free pizzas for dancers Sunday.

One thing dancers are not allowed to have is caffeine, Thomas said. Grande mocha buzzes only provide a quick energy boost and usually lead to sluggishness in the long run, he said.

For that reason, the Starbucks stand may look out of place at Thon, but the gourmet coffee giant will be there for the first time this year to dish out decaffeinated, fruity beverages, said Amy Cortolillo, store manager at 232 W. College Ave.

"We will be blending tazoberry, tazocitrus and vanilla cream frappuccinos for the dancers for free," she said.

Other corporate sponsors such as Tommy Hilfiger and Kaufmann's department store are getting involved by funding the Centre Area Transportation Authority's (CATA) 48-hour Town and Campus Loop service during Thon weekend.

"[The service] is surprisingly busy," said Eric Bernier, CATA director of service development. More activities on and around campus, because of Thon, contribute to the Loop's usefulness at all hours, he said.

Of course, most of the 3 a.m. antics at Penn State are not so wholesome, and late night buses can get pretty rowdy, Bernier added.

"It hasn't yet devolved into a longer-running drunk shuttle though," he said.

The extended service will cost CATA around $2,000, but Bernier commended Thon organizers for securing sponsors to cover the burden.