U.S.S. Charter Oak Teams Up With Chubby Dog to Host Voice Off Challenge for Pancreatic Cancer Research
October 19, 2026
KILLINGLY, CONN. - With November being Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, the crew of the independent Star Trek fan group, the U.S.S. Charter Oak (NCC-63545), is going warp 9.975 to find a cure for pancreatic cancer by once again teaming up with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) and their PurpleStride Event as Team Trek: Connecticut.
Crew Captain, and Team Trek: Connecticut Co-Captain, Ryan O'Connor has set a lofty goal of $10,000 to raise between October, 2026 and the annual event at the end of April, 2027. In order to accomplish this, the crew is planning a series of fundraisers over the next six months including the first-ever Voice Off Challenge at the Danielson, Conn. Chubby Dog Coffee Gaming Bar.
"If you've ever watched American Idol or America's Got Talent, you'll understand what we're envisioning," Captain Ryan O'Connor says. "We will have up to five rounds where singers will sing to stay in the challenge. The singer with the most points at the end wins."
The Voice Off Challenge will have contestants will have to pre-register to sing karaoke-style songs. They will be judged on certain criteria by both a panel of judges and by the audience in attendance. The contestants with the most points will progress until there are two singers left. They will then go head-to-head to be named the Chubby Dog Voice Off Winner. The winner will receive half the money collected from the initial event entries, while the other half will go toward the fundraiser.
Each contestant will choose songs from specific categories for each round (ie. Country, Sinatra, Classic Rock, Showtunes, 80's Rock, etc.). Each round will be of a specific music genre chosen at random at the end of the pervious round. The first round genre will be announced one week before the Challenge by both email to the registrants and on social media.
If a contestant is eliminated, they can buy their way back in only once for any of the rounds outside the final two contestants. If a contestant chooses to buy back in, the contestant with the next lowest score will have the opportunity to buy-in at a higher price to keep their seat, overturning the losing contestant’s buy-in. Only up to two contestants can buy back in per round.
The judges will have a scoring sheet that they will use to score each performer. Members of the audience will be able to pay to vote for who they wish to proceed to the next round. The contestants with the most points will advance.
There will be up to 5 rounds for performances. Depending on how many performers sign up, the organizers can set song length limits. Each round will be randomly assigned a song genre with the exception of the last category, in which the final two contestants will be able to choose whatever song they wish. The number of contestants per round will be as follows:
Round 1: Open to as many as pre-register.
Round 2: Up to 7 singers will advance.
Round 3: Up to 5 singers will advance.
Round 4: Up to 3 singers will advance.
Round 5 (Final): Two singers will go head-to-head.
Judges will adjudicate from a scale of one to five points for each of the following criteria:
Presentation: Did the singer engage with the audience or just stand there?
Interpretation: Did the singer make the song their own or just mimic the radio?
Emotion: Did the singer bring any emotion into their performance?
Complexity of Song: Was the singer able to keep up with the song they chose? Was the song too simple?
Overall Performance/Judge’s Choice
Contestants can earn up to twenty-five (25) points from each judge based on their individual scores.
Singers who wish to participate will need to pre-register and buy-in before the event officially starts. Registration will be accepted up until 6:55p.m. on Saturday, November 21st; five minutes before the challenge begins. The buy-in to sing will be Twenty-Five ($25) Dollars. The winner of the Chubby Dog Voice Off Challenge will receive half of the money that is collected in the initial buy-in. Any buy-ins from contestants to remain in the challenge will be donated directly to the fundraiser itself, and not the prize pot.
In addition to the singing challenge fundraiser, there will be a silent auction and 50/50 raffle available for participants and members of the crowd to enjoy. The proceeds from these two events will go toward the fundraiser and not to the winner of the Chubby Dog Voice Off Challenge. The winner of the 50/50 raffle will receive half of the earnings from just the raffle itself.
Captain O'Connor hopes that this event is a huge success and helps get Team Trek: Connecticut well on their way to reaching their goal of $10,000 for PanCAN. If you feel you have what it takes to be crowned the best singer in Northeastern Connecticut, make sure you register now and lock in your place in the Chubby Dog Voice Off Challenge by using this link: https://www.usscharteroak.org/event-details/chubby-dog-voice-off-challenge-singer-registration
