to Bermuda's foster children and profits for the Physical Abuse Centre.

Ms Rowell, who plays wild, vivacious Drucilla Barber on the popular CBS soap opera, was the special guest at a Christmas party organised by the Physical Abuse Centre at Scandal night club on Saturday night.

The Centre, which serves as a haven for battered women, relies heavily on donations for monthly rent payments.

And while head of the fundraising committee Mrs. June Augustus did not know last night how much was raised from the $20-ticket event, she said everyone was impressed with the actress.

"I don't know how many were there,'' Mrs. Augustus said. "But it was a nice turnout and it went quite well.

"Everybody was all excited about Victoria. She got to meet some of our foster children as well.'' Ms Rowell, who grew up in foster care, said she too enjoyed the party, particularly talking with the foster kids.

In fact, the children were only able to obtain a free poster of the Maine-born actress after they each told her what they wanted to do when they grew up.

Ms Rowell, who was given to her first foster family at two weeks old, also had words of encouragement for the youngsters.

"My message to foster children is to maintain a sense of dignity and self-esteem as best as one can even though you may be transferred from home to home,'' said the determined star who after living with several foster families went on to establish a ballet scholarship programme for foster children in New England in 1990.

"The problem I have with foster care is the interminable limbo that children are placed in,'' Ms Rowell said last night from her local hotel room.

"My biggest hope would be for adoption facilities to expedite permanent placements for children.'' She said she also hoped to return to Bermuda next year to either be a guest teacher at a local ballet studio or to help Mrs. Augustus and others who hold fundraisers for children in homes.

Despite a hectic schedule, including practising lines as `Dru' and starring in movies such as "The Distinguished Gentleman'' with Eddie Murphy, Miss Rowell has worked with such charitable causes as The United Way, the Georgia, Maine and Massachusetts departments of Social Services and has performed public service announcements for foster care awareness.

Ms Rowell, who also often travels back to Maine to teach classical ballet at the Portland Ballet Company, will leave Bermuda on Wednesday.

RESTLESS ROLE MODEL -- Soap opera star Victoria Rowell poses with a handful of the many foster children she befriended at a fundraising event last Saturday night. (See story this page).