In a whirl for her girls

A mother scoots across the county by copter so she can see her twin daughters graduate high school.

By ED QUIOCO and MATTIAS KAREN

© St. Petersburg Times, published June 8, 2000

[Times photo: John Pendygraft] Catherine Hughes, left, and daughter Nichole, 17, fly over Pinellas County on Wednesday after Nichole's graduation in Clearwater and before the graduation of Nichole's twin, Lelah, below, in St. Petersburg.

Like the calm before a storm, Catherine Hughes seemed steady despite the flurry of events that lay ahead.

In a few hours, Hughes would have to pull off a small miracle: attend her twin daughters' separate graduation ceremonies, which would begin at the same time at opposite ends of Pinellas County, all the while followed by hordes of reporters and cameras.

"It'll be a bit of a mad dash," Hughes said Wednesday afternoon, eight hours before the scramble. "But our 15 minutes of fame should be over by tonight."

The plan called for Hughes to watch daughter Nichole receive her diploma at 7 p.m. at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater. The two would then hurry to a helicopter in front of Ruth Eckerd Hall and be whisked to twin sister Lelah's graduation at Times Arena at Bayfront Center in St. Petersburg.

School officials arranged it so that Nichole would get her diploma early in the ceremony and Lelah, who was graduating from Countryside High School, would get her diploma last.

Nichole strolled across the stage at Eckerd Hall about 10 minutes into the ceremony to thunderous applause. As Palm Harbor University principal Alec Liem continued his introductory speech, Catherine Hughes rushed outside to the helicopter, where television cameras and photographers were waiting. Moments later, Nichole, still wearing her cap and gown and a huge smile, trotted out, escorted by school officials.

"I'm so thrilled right now," Catherine Hughes said as Nichole climbed into the front seat of the helicopter. "I just saw my baby graduate."

They landed at Albert Whitted Airport in St. Petersburg at 7:35. A white-and-black stretch limousine waited to take them in style to Lelah's graduation blocks away.

Mother and daughter had nothing to worry about; they arrived at Bayfront Center with time to spare. They immediately spied where Lelah was sitting and waited for her name to be called.

"It was awesome," Nichole, who plans to attend Florida State University, said as she rushed from the helicopter to the limousine. "We saw a rainbow on the way. I can't believe there was a helicopter waiting for me."

As they waited for Lelah to be called, Catherine Hughes chatted with friends and family and hammed it up for the television cameras recording the scramble.

"I still can't believe all this," Hughes said. "My babies are all grown up and graduated. I'm feeling very blessed."

When Lelah's graduation was over, the family found each other and hugged.

"Wow!" Lelah said. "Oh my God. Like, wow again."

Good Samaritans provided the helicopter and limousine, offering help after reading a Times story about the twins' separate graduations and their mother's quandary.

Bob Held, a Clearwater promotional consultant, said he helped the family because he was touched by the news story and how Hughes, a single mother, had worked her way off of welfare. Held asked David King, manager of the Clearwater Airpark and owner of a helicopter, if he would help out.

Held also arranged for the limousine and a dinner at the Holiday Inn Select on Ulmerton Road. King volunteered to fly Hughes and her daughters to dinner so that Lelah could also enjoy a helicopter ride.

"I just graduated, my mom's here and everything's great," said Lelah, who is planning to attend the University of Central Florida. "I was like, I have to go because my helicopter is waiting."

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.