This time of year is an exciting one for all of us. As days become shorter and shorter the promise of cooler weather makes the hottest of days more bearable, as does the promise of the nearing 2009 football season.

At the beginning of the football season the energy is palpable because every team has a clean slate — the worst teams have a chance to turn it around and the best have the chance to prove they can do it again.

While many of us anticipate Saturday afternoons and evenings at the stadium, under the RV canopy or on our favorite living room chair, we should not forget Friday nights.

Friday nights are reserved for our hometown boys.

We would ask football fans, parents and those who care about the youth of our community to help support their favorite school’s booster clubs. If you’re not a football fan, you can support other sports or even band booster clubs.

Look for kids in jerseys selling candy bars, discount cards or bagging your groceries. You may not need help with those two bags at Kroger, but the kids sure need the few dollars you could spare after they walked them to your car, especially since schools are under state-mandated budget crunches.

Also look out for The Covington News’ annual Football Preview on Sunday, Aug. 23. The special section will be full of photos and profiles of athletes and coaches who benefit from kind donations to their booster clubs.

We are eager for a fall filled with happy tailgating memories and victories for our favorite teams; we wish you the same.