2013 is the Chinese Year of the Snake, a year said to bring wealth and strength to the family. The East Chapel Hill football family will celebrate its good fortune this year with a fundraiser is planned for 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 9, at City Kitchen in University mall.

The fundraiser, with a Chinese Year of the Snake theme, will feature Chinese delicacies, and adult beverages will be available for purchase. Local artist Vivien Burns ( www.inkstonefineart.com.) will display and offer for sale an assortment of her exceptional paintings, prints and prints on silk scarves, with profits benefiting Wildcat football.

Tickets will be available at the door with a suggested donation of $20, proceeds to benefit the Wildcat football team. Email EastTDClub@nc.rr.com to learn more.

McCrory leading ACC in springboard diving

Duke junior Nick McCrory has been named the Male ACC Diver of the Week for the second time this season. The former three-time state champion for East Chapel Hill made his mark in the 2012 Olympics in platform diving, but he seems to be making great strides in the springboard competitions as well.

McCrory set personal season-highs on both the 1- and 3-meter boards, taking home first place in each event against rival North Carolina. His scores of 407.47 on the 1-meter and 416.25 on the 3-meter rank No. 1 and No. 4, respectively, in the ACC this season.

McCrory also won ACC weekly honors in early January, after he reached the finals in both the 1- and 3-meter events at the Tennessee Diving Invitational — his first collegiate meet since the winning a bronze medal at the London Olympic Games.

Richburg named player of the week

Former Orange High School standout Bianca Richburg was named the USA South Conference’s women’s basketball player of the week after averaging a double-double in three games for Greensboro College.

A senior forward for The Pride, Richburg averaged 30 points and 10.7 rebounds over a three-game stretch as Greensboro went 2-1. She scored 31 points with four assists in a 72-67 win at Meredith; she had 18 points and 12 rebounds in a 59-45 victory over Piedmont; and her 41 points in a 94-73 loss to LaGrange stands as the second highest single-game scoring ever for a Pride player.

Vernon starting for nation’s No. 1 team

Nate Vernon, brother of Winthrop’s Zoe Vernon, is playing basketball at the University of Rochester — the nation’s No. 1 NCAA Division III team at 18-0.

A 6-6 junior, Vernon is Rochester’s second-leading scorer. Starting in all of the first 118 games, he’s hit 27 of 68 3-pointers (39.7 percent) and is averaging 12.1 points a game.

Like his sister Zoe, Nate is a grad of Carolina Friends School in Orange County, where his father David Vernon is the boys’ varsity coach.

Chapel Hill Rec readies for spring

Chapel Hill Parks and Recreation Department has opened registration for the following sports:

• Adult Recreational Softball costs $600 per team, with an additional $5 fee for each non-Orange County resident. A $200 deposit is required at registration.

• Pee Wee Baseball for boys and girls ages 5-6. Registration costs $50 for local residents, $60 for others. Space is limited.

• Little League Baseball and Softball. Boys and girls ages 7-12 costs $60 for local residents, $72 for others. Space is limited.

• Ultimate Frisbee for ages 9-12. The fee is $50 for local residents and $60 for others. Registration ends Feb. 22.

• USTA Team Tennis features a tennis league for ages 6-10, using the QuickStart format. Registration is $26 and begins Feb. 8 online at www.docta.org.

Adult & Youth Tennis Classes are limited to eight participants per class. The meeting times vary.

• Volunteer coaches: CHP&R is looking for youth baseball and softball coaches, for age groups 7-12. Call Mike Troutman at 968-2736 for more information.

For more information, call the Chapel Hill Parks & Recreation Department at 919-968-2784.