This weekend, the big Dorchester Day parade will bring thousands onto our neighborhood streets in celebration of the great values and history of our community.

The big parade steps off at 1 p.m. Sunday from Lower Mills, following Dot from our southern boundary with Milton to near the South Boston border at Columbia Road. Along the way, the marchers will traverse many of the diverse urban villages that enhance the richness the neighborhood.

More than 20 years ago, while Dorchester people struggled through a negative public image, Dorchester-born advertising guru Steve Cosmopulos conceived the idea of “OFD- Originally from Dorchester.” The concept is a convivial observance of our community, to recognize in Steve’s words “the good fortune to be originally from Dorchester, Massachusetts, U.S.A. (Still from Dorchester also counts.)” Being “Now from Dorchester” also counts, as does that newly-crafted acronym DBC- “Dorchester by Choice.” But whatever your background, wherever your place of birth, we all acknowledge the great good value of our community.

As we have said for years, Dorchester begins with a Capitol D — and that stands for Diversity — and that’s Dot’s biggest strength.