TI recently participated in a day of celebration that launched the citywide United Way 2012-2013 fund-raising campaign. View slide show here.

The first LIVE UNITED Day in North Texas sparked widespread community involvement recently as TI led a public show of support for the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, helping engage other area corporations, city governments and non-profit organizations.

On October 1st, this day of celebration launched the citywide United Way 2012-2013 fundraising campaign, with companies highlighting the impact that United Way has on the lives of people in North Texas and encouraging the entire community to get involved.

Rich Templeton, TI's chairman, president and CEO and this year's campaign chair, joined Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings and United Way CEO Jennifer Sampson during a live interview on WFAA-TV's "Good Morning Texas" program.

Templeton said "This event is a great way to bring people together and kick off the campaign season. We've got an opportunity to bring a lot of younger people in so we have a millennial effort underway to bring new philanthropists and new investors in the community to invest and make an impact."

Mayor Rawlings said that LIVE UNITED Day and the United Way organization brings the community together.

"It creates a passion for the community and for each other because United Way is a great organization that deals with some of the most important strategic issues that we face," he said during the interview.

Throughout the day in North Dallas, supporters wore United Way T-shirts and posted comments and photos on social media. United Way ads featuring six employees from TI, AT&T and Kimberly Clark appeared on 150 Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) buses. Nine North Texas cities issued proclamations declaring Oct. 1 as LIVE UNITED Day and recognizing the impact of United Way initiatives in their communities. In addition, TI unveiled five banners on the exterior of its Kilby and headquarters buildings to support the citywide campaign.

Templeton said many companies in the Dallas area realize that to have great communities they need to invest in them and that helps the company become stronger.

"Corporate activity is at the heart of a lot of the energy that we want to generate," he said.

He also cited this year's campaign goals — to raise more than last year and to involve more young people. By focusing on involving younger people in supporting United Way, Templeton hopes to help build a new generation of engaged volunteers who make a measurable impact in the next decade.

Later in the day, TI hosted a "flash mob" volunteer project. About 190 employees took a few minutes out of their day to participate in a spur-of-the-moment project to assemble personal care kits for homeless children and families who receive assistance from Rainbow Days, a local United Way service provider. TI donated more than 200 kits, which included hygiene items, comfort food for children and personal note cards written by employees.

"As I witnessed the TI volunteers offering their drop-in time to assemble care kits and write notes of encouragement, I noticed how each of the employees went a step above and beyond with their note card messages," said Mitzi White, volunteer coordinator for Rainbow Days. "Many of them wrote an entire page, offering a child kindness from their hearts and 'hope for a promising future' with their words. Each and every one of the TI volunteers has definitely set the standard of excellence for all volunteer groups to come."

2012 marks the third of a five-year effort by UWMD to raise more than $300 million for the North Texas community. Last year, the campaign saw an 11 percent increase in giving, raising $59.3 million.

To learn more or join in this "Live United" effort, please read here and share your support for United Way.

Click here to view slideshow of the event.