With the theme 'Lighting the Path to a Brighter Future', Sunday's services around New Zealand united communities affected by HIV/AIDS. Events in Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and Invercargill presented speeches from leaders in the local fight against HIV/AIDS, messages from the Governor General, Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition, musical performances and Candle Lighting ceremonies. The Prime Minister Helen Clark's message acknowledged the NZ AIDS Foundation's role in educating and informing all New Zealanders about HIV/AIDS. “Every day, it helps those who live with the disease,” she wrote. “We must not become complacent…New generations of New Zealanders need to be informed about prevention and reminded about the painful past lessons we have learned.” The message from the Governor-General, the Honourable Anand Satyanand, served as a reminder that HIV is a bigger problem than it's ever been. ”I am told there were 177 new diagnoses recorded in New Zealand in 2006, representing the second highest ever in the history of the epidemic. There are, I understand, about 2,000 New Zealanders living with diagnosed HIV today,” he wrote. ”Each person in the community has a duty to help stop the spread of this insidious virus by encouraging the practice of safe sex in our communities. People can all be part of the solution to this problem. It is not a reality that the community can afford to ignore.” Leader of the Opposition John Key also sent a message, saying the Candle Light event “gives us a chance to remember those who have died from AIDS and those who have lost loved ones, and it reminds us of the hard work ahead to fight the disease and make its terrible toll a thing of the past.” The services in Wellington and Auckland were particularly well-attended, with increased numbers of younger people than in recent years. In Wellington, the ceremony at the City Gallery had the Governor-General, Mayor Kerry Prendergast, MP Charles Chauvel, and NZAF Chairperson Hoani Jeremy Lambert were in attendance. The Tiwhanawhana takataapui kapa haka group, an African choir, and Nota Bene choral group performed. After hearing speeches, songs, stories and remembrances, the Wellington crowd moved into Civic Square, wrote messages on balloons and released them into the air. In Auckland, over 100 people attended St Matthews in the City's Candle Light Memorial and there were musical performances from Hadleigh Adams, Craig Webster, Larry Jenkins, Fiona Holding, The Taste of Africa and Diva Siva. It was also a chance to see pieces of the AIDS Memorial Quilt on display. Ref: NZAF, GayNZ.com (m)