WINNIPEG - He's struck gold and will soon be heading to celebrate in Las Vegas.

"I just jumped for joy," said Kevin Ritchie, 44, winner of the Winnipeg Sun's Search for Gold bonus prize, a free trip.

About 180 contest qualifiers packed the house Wednesday night at Jaguars at Club Regent Casino, waiting to hear who would win.

Ritchie said he planned to take his wife Paula and their two children, Jake and Robyn, for a winter vacation.

"It'll be fantastic," said Ritchie, adding he's played the Search for Gold contest for years.

"Search for Gold yet again proved to be a reader favourite," said Carolyne Braid, the Sun's director of marketing.

"We were happy to be working with new partners in Casinos of Winnipeg."

The bonus prize for the search included airfare, accommodations and spending cash for a trip to Las Vegas. The event brought out a range of people who had taken part in the Search for Gold contest in recent weeks, including mother and daughter team Donna Mackay, 42, and Krystal Mackay, 22.

"It was very fun. It was a blast," Donna said of the search.

The duo came close to discovering a gold certificate but still had fun despite not finding any of the prizes.

"I liked the fact I got to spend more time with my mom," said Krystal.

The bonus prize event proved entertaining, said Braid.

"It was a tremendous success," she said.