Even though it feels like we’ve barely gotten our foot in the proverbial door of 2015, we’re quickly approaching what may be the most important weekend of the year for many people: THON weekend.
In a matter of days, we will be standing up to cancer for forty-six hours straight; no sitting, no whining and, if you’re a dancer, no breaks. That means no ducking out at the twenty-fifth hour to grab some Chipotle or a McFlurry.
And not that Hospitality doesn’t do a great job (seriously, you guys are so awesome), but the meals they offer our dancers can get a little repetitive. And there’s nothing like a little break from routine to boost morale.
What former THON dancer Marissa says she missed most during the weekend was having a substantial meal. In order to keep the dancers from figuring out what time of day it is, Hospitality gives them smaller portioned meals several times throughout the day. Marissa said that as the hours grew on, she and other dancers started to yearn for a hearty meal.
The Filling
This year, how about trying to bring your dancer a takeout container of something like turkey or meatloaf with gravy (and maybe even some veggies or mashed potatoes) to pick them up? The idea is to get them a good, warm, stick-to-your-bones kind of meal.
Photo by Morgan Goldberg
The Substantial
For breakfast, dancers strictly receive bagels because carbs keep their energy up. Try to spice it up for them by bringing something with eggs, bacon, sausage or cheese — basically any go-to breakfast goods. A sandwich from Irving’s or Bagel Crust would be perfect.
Photo by Anna Hsu
The Guilty Pleasure
In terms of snacks for when they get peckish, try to get them something that deviates from the snack shack’s same old crackers, fruit snacks, granola, yogurt, etc.
State College is a cornucopia of feel-good food, so it won’t be too hard to find your dancers a special treat to nosh on. The key is to know your dancers and their tastes. If your dancer is skipping their weekly Wings Over to dance, they’ll be thrilled when you show up with wings in hand. If you’re not sure what they love, ask them what their favorite State College specialties are.
Photo by Hannah Burks
Make sure to get your dancer’s moraler’s contact information before the big weekend so you can be sure that the food you bring makes its way to their stomach (and taste buds).
THON is almost here, people. Let’s let our dancers know that we have their backs 100%.
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