Roxy Jones addresses the audience at the 2024 Youth for Youth Holiday Concert. Photograph courtesy of Cashman Photo

SISTER ACT

Youth for Youth is Gettin’ Jazzy With It for its 4th Annual Holiday Charity Concert

BY STACEY GUALANDI

The holiday season in Las Vegas is filled with traditions: the Glittering Lights at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, ice skating at the Cosmopolitan and the Ethel M Chocolates Holiday Cactus Garden.

Now you can add the Youth for Youth Holiday Concert to that winter wish list.

In just three short years, this charity benefit concert — founded by pianist and newly selected U.S. Presidential Scholar Roxy Jones — has raised more than $100,000 for underserved and homeless youth in the Clark County community. With generous support from presenting sponsor ITW Commercial Construction and many other supportive sponsors and donors, the concert continues to grow each year.

“I always think each year is as big as it’s gonna get, but it always gets bigger,” Roxy said.

Youth for Youth was born out of the pandemic and Roxy’s desire to perform on the piano after a period when she wasn’t allowed to.

It offers skilled high school students the chance to play holiday favorites and classical music for enthusiastic audiences while raising critically needed funds for local youth organizations, including Nevada Partnership for the Homeless Youth, the Boys & Girls Club and the Forgotten Song Foundation.

“I feel a lot of people like the cause, want to support the cause, and because of that, they’re very dedicated to coming,” Roxy said.

Audiences also get to see a gifted group of young musicians perform year after year: Roxy on classical piano; her younger sister, Skai Jones, on violin; twin brothers Jun and Charles Hong side by side on piano; and many more.

This year is no exception. The fourth annual event returns to Clark High School on Nov. 29 at 3 p.m., but this time under new leadership.

Skai is taking on the annual tradition now that her sister Roxy is in her first semester at Yale on a full-ride scholarship, where she’s part of the Yale Piano Collective and Yale University Chamber Orchestra (YUCO).

“I think after seeing how much Roxy was able to do, I thought I could continue it and do even more, so I said, ‘Yeah, I should do this!'” Skai said. She co-chaired the event last year with Roxy.

Skai says familiar faces will return, including crowd favorites — and now high school freshmen — Jun and Charles Hong.

“They were two of the originals, so they definitely have to come back,” Skai said. “Everyone who comes says, ‘I’m so excited to see the twins this year.'”

Speaking of twins, Skai said she has some new sheet music up her sleeve. She’s invited the talented Wunder twins — Jaron on bass and Ethan on saxophone — from the Utah-based band Plant Based to bring a little jazz fusion to the yuletide playlist.

In fact, the Youth for Youth 2025 celebration will kick off a day early when the Wunder twins and Plant Based join the Hong twins for a night of jazz on the Vic’s stage in downtown Las Vegas.

Then the following night, for the first time, Skai will perform in a special string quartet set. She is also building a stronger social media presence ahead of the big night.

Skai is also thrilled to announce that money raised will help this year’s chosen charity, The Just One Project, tackle food insecurity and assist underserved youth in Las Vegas.

Founder Brooke Neubauer said a donation like this couldn’t come at a better time, especially around the holidays.

“We’re going to focus this money on helping our youth case management program get things that [our youths] need to be more independent,” Neubauer said. “You bring them in, you get them food, you triage them and their immediate needs and then you focus on getting them self-sustainable.”

“Every time we have talked to The Just One Project, they say they really try to emphasize creating a space for people to not feel ashamed of asking for help and I love that about them,” Skai said.

Neubauer said she is proud to be working with these “Christmas elves” and admits that once you get bitten by the bug of giving back, it becomes a part of your life.

“These young women are our future; they are the future of the nonprofit sector; they are the future of our community,” Neubauer said. “I think it’s just amazing how Skai and Roxy can inspire so many people to come together for a great cause.”

Skai and the Hongs recently attended the 2025 Moonridge Philanthropy Leaders Summit and are now pledging to raise $30,000 for The Just One Project.

“But I hope to surpass that,” Skai said.

Roxy said she’ll be back to play her holiday hits but is proud to pass the conductor baton to Skai.

“I think it’s really nice that Skai is going to continue the tradition of these holiday concerts and that my dad’s helping her,” Roxy said. “They always make jokes about how they’re gonna raise more than I ever did. Ha!”

Skai, a high school junior, said the experience is both a challenge and an opportunity. She’s taking to heart the advice her dad passed down to Roxy: “always think bigger!”

“I just think it’s super cool how we get the opportunity to be able to do this,” Skai said. “I think it shows you that if you put in the work, you can really make something out of it and raise all this money to help youth in our community.”

And now, as Las Vegas embraces its holiday traditions — from glittering lights to ice rinks and chocolate cactus gardens — the Youth for Youth Holiday Concert proudly takes the stage with them.

If Skai, Roxy and their troupe of talented teens have their way, they’ll exceed their $30,000 goal for The Just One Project, proving that music, generosity and community can make the holidays brighter for everyone.

For more information, visit youthforyouth.vegas and vicslasvegas.com.

To read about the results of this amazing event, visit our blog post: The Skai’s the Limit!