Robert "Captain" Kirk will swim for four hours Monday, Oct. 19, at the West Cabarrus YMCA in Concord to raise money to eradicate polio.

Kirk, a Cabarrus County Rotary member who has made endurance swims for polio eradication for several years, will be in the water from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Rowan-Cabarrus YMCA's West Cabarrus branch, 5325 Langford Ave. NW, the Cabarrus Compass reported.

The event is sponsored by Cabarrus County Rotary. The club is asking supporters to donate to the fundraiser or show up at the YMCA to cheer Kirk on.

Kirk has made the annual swim a personal commitment, the Compass reported. Rotary International has been a lead partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative since 1988. That partnership, which includes the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Gates Foundation and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has helped reduce wild poliovirus cases by 99.9 percent, according to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.

Wild polio now remains endemic in only two countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan.

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the WHO Executive Board in February 2026 that 41 cases of wild polio were reported the previous year, down from 99 cases in 2024.

Donations to Rotary's polio eradication efforts are matched 2-to-1 by the Gates Foundation, effectively turning each dollar into three, according to Citizen Newspaper Group. Rotary alone has contributed more than $2.9 billion to the effort and is committed to raising up to $50 million each year through 2029, according to the Pagosa Springs Sun.

Residents who want to support Kirk can donate through a link on the Cabarrus Rotary Instagram page or stop by the pool Monday, Oct. 19, to watch him swim.

Upcoming community events

  • Monday, Oct. 19: Robert "Captain" Kirk's four-hour polio eradication swim, 7:30–11:30 a.m., West Cabarrus YMCA, 5325 Langford Ave. NW, Concord
  • Saturday, Oct. 24: World Polio Day — Rotary clubs across the country plan to hold the World's Largest Polio Walk to raise awareness and funds for polio eradication