A law student with student loans to pay off, Kevin Gracie had a friend pay for his ticket to the Baltimore Orioles-Boston Red Sox game Aug. 19.

Gracie, 24, of Ellicott City, is more than grateful. He became the 50 millionth fan to enter Oriole Park at Camden Yards, a distinction that won him $50,000 and season tickets to Orioles games for the next five years.

“It still hasn’t set in,” Gracie said the following day. “People give me grief because I’m an O’s fan, because my friends are from New York. Now, it finally paid off.”

Gracie, a 2002 graduate of Mt. Hebron High School, was given the check in an on-field presentation before the game. In addition to the cash prize and season tickets, Gracie  was awarded a seat upgrade for the game for him and his three friends, limousine service for the evening and a commemorative jersey with “50” on the back.

An avid Orioles fan who goes to about 20 games a season, Gracie said his aunt first introduced him to baseball when he was about 5 years old. He still remembers the last game at Memorial Stadium on Oct. 6, 1991. The Orioles moved into Camden Yards the next season.

A student at the University of Baltimore School of Law, Gracie said he intends to use the money to pay off student loans.

He also plans to pay back the friend, Ben Reisz of Catonsville, who bought him the ticket for Tuesday’s game. Gracie, at the time, had only $6 in his pocket.

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