In a room that had a capacity of slightly more than a hundred, the tables were filled and the window sills lined with people waiting to hear David Kopay, UW alumnus and retired NFL running back, speak at the Q Center welcome lunch Friday afternoon.

"It's always nice to outgrow the space that is given to you," said Jennifer Self, Q Center director. "I really think that we [the Q Center] are going to kick ass at this University."

Kopay, who made a contribution of $1 million to the organization, continues to give to his alma mater, pledging a $10,000 gift to start a scholarship through the Q Center.

"His gift has already inspired others to give," Self said.

The audience was visibly moved when Kopay spoke.

"What a forgiving man," Self said. "He has insured that students in the future no longer have to come to this institution and give that part of themselves up."

Kopay's testamentary gift guarantees that the Q Center will be able to stay open indefinitely.

"Being able to make this gift has meant everything to me," Kopay said.

Kopay described his time at the UW.

"I was so deep in the closet," he said, "I didn't know what the hell I was."

Since the Q Center opened, Self and the rest of the staff have strived to ensure that people don't have to feel like Kopay did in the '60s.

"The Q Center is a place where all of you should be safe," Kopay said. "At every level, we are making progress."

Attendees of the lunch were a diverse assembly of members of the UW community. From alumni to freshmen, it was a room full of different stories.

"It is amazing to see such a rainbow of colors here today," Kopay said.

Kopay intends to move back to the Seattle area to become more involved with the community and the center.

"How could you not love the UW?" he said. "How could you not call it home?"

Support for the Q Center and the Q Center itself have grown exponentially since its opening in February of 2005, Self said.

"The Q Center is a symbol of what this university could be," said Sheila Edwards Lange, vice president of minority affairs. "We can change this campus by working together."

[Reach reporter Celia Hunko at news@thedaily.washington.edu.]