Overheard at the autograph sessions....

Fan Club Director Victoria Curea reported that nearly 500 fans attended the festivities and that more than $9,000 had been raised by the silent auction to benefit the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, which provides financial assistance to military families.

Y&R newcomer Greg Rikaart (Kevin) was relieved that fans greeted him so warmly. "Kevin has been so mean to Lily that I didn't know what to expect," he laughed. "But everyone I met here today has just been terrific."

New mom Eileen Davidson (Ashley), who was unable to make the early portion of the day due to family commitments, showed up later, saying, "There's no way I would have missed this. Our fans are the best."

Ben Watkins (Wesley) told fans that he was thrilled with the interaction they shared that day, stating, "That's really what I wanted. I like the events where you're not separated, and the thing about meeting the fans is that everybody has something in common. We all have the show in common, so as soon as you talk to somebody, you have common ground to start with, and that's fun."

A tired Lyndsy Fonseca (Colleen) chimed in that she attended every event during the weekend and had a blast. "I've been here since the beginning," she enthused. "I went to the bowling event last night and did horribly. Christel had a strike and Thad totally beat us, but that's okay. I pretended to suck, because I do [laughs]. I went to the welcome breakfast this morning, so I'm just going with the flow this weekend."

Head Writer Kay Alden (far r., with Bergman and Cooper), who came in from Chicago for the weekend, summed the day up gracefully by saying, "What a fabulous response. I was so moved to be here to be with people who so enjoy and respect the work and are so committed to the program and the genre at a time when we all look at our numbers and people say soaps are a declining phenomena. But I don't think so. When you meet people like this and you see people who've traveled all the way across the country and from other countries, it's profoundly moving. It gives me great hope for the future."

For more information about joining the YOUNG AND RESTLESS Fan Club, contact Victoria Curea, fan club director, at CBS-TV, 7800 Beverly Blvd., Suite 3305, Los Angeles, CA 90036.