The first rule of journalism should be: Do not attempt to cover a story in the bitter cold while taking photos at the same time. I learned this lesson last night, in Washington Square Park, at the Light for Rights event.

Not to worry, however, as one hardly needed to take notes to capture the spirit of the evening. My fingers were frozen as I jostled my camera and notebook between my rapidly numbing hands, so I decided to simply absorb the energy of the speakers, their passion for bringing an end to the discrimination that people with HIV/AIDS face, and their commitment to ending the pandemic of AIDS around the world.

It's just as well. My fellow writers on this blog did a tremendous job yesterday of addressing what World AIDS Day means, and how you can get involved. Instead of rehashing what they wrote yesterday, I will simply relate the feeling of last night's event. Part vigil, part political rally, part celebration, Light for Rights accomplished exactly what it should have: it humanized an issue.

Kenneth Cole, who described himself in his opening comments as the chairman of amFAR, who in his spare time is a designer, presided over the hour-long event.

Ban Ki-moon, secretary general of the United Nations, spoke with measured determination about improving the lives of people with HIV/AIDS through efforts like lifting the travel ban on those who are infected. Christine C. Quinn, New York City Council speaker and a longtime supporter of gay rights, emphatically encouraged everyone to call their representatives in Congress -- repeatedly -- to demand same-sex marriage in New York. Susan Sarandon brought some levity with a few jokes in between her appeal to stop AIDS from taking any more lives. Other speakers included Naomi Watts, a UNAIDS goodwill ambassador and Academy Award-nominated actor; Paul DeLay, UNAIDS executive director; and Broadway stars Cheyenne Jackson and Lillian White.

When a middle-aged woman from Zimbabwe took the mic to describe the discrimination she has faced for being a woman with HIV, the crowd took a collective pause to consider the gravity of the situation.

Between 6:15 and 6:20, the lights were dimmed to symbolize the need for greater awareness about HIV/AIDS, which more than 30 million people still live with despite widespread efforts to curb the disease. Mr. DeLay pointed out that yesterday alone, as is the case every day, more than 7,000 people were newly infected. He added that more than 3,000 people receive treatment each day, but the obvious disconnect between those two numbers means there is still much work to be done.

Thanks to events like Light for Rights and the efforts of people around the world committed to the cause of ending HIV and AIDS, we can at least say that we're getting there.