The annual start of the high school football season in Escalon brings with it another annual event – Cougar Cards.

The sale of the cards, which feature a variety of deals through local merchants, helps support the football program and provides buyers with a number of money-saving opportunities.

“Our Cougar Card sale is Thursday night, Aug. 16 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.,” said first-year varsity head coach Andrew Beam. “It’s our football fundraiser; cards cost $15.”

The card is offered at the same price as last year, and players will be out in the community knocking on doors for the fundraiser on Thursday night.

A longstanding staple of the football program, this is the 22nd year that the cards have been offered. A major selling point of the cards is that they pay for themselves within a couple of uses, with percentages off at a number of businesses or some with ‘buy one-get one’ options.

Football officials note the card sales have always been well-supported, both by the businesses offering discounts through the cards and those in the community that purchase them to use locally.

Proceeds help pay for a variety of equipment and other football program needs at EHS.

The football season at EHS begins on Friday night, Aug. 17 when the JV and varsity teams will be on the road at Union Mine. The first home game of the new season will be on Friday, Aug. 24 as the Cougars welcome Calaveras to town.