Sue McGillivray's life has been changed -- at least for the next year.

The 34-year-old new mother was announced last night as the $44,800 grand prize winner of the Change Your Life contest, sponsored by the Sun, Enmax Energy and Safeway, and will get her bills paid for a full year.

McGillivray edged out 49 other qualifiers to win the big prize, which includes $4,800 in Safeway gift certificates.

"I'm shocked but really excited, I can't wait to call my husband," she said after hearing her name announced at Flames Central.

"I never thought in a million years I would win the grand prize."

A new mother to four-month-old Zachary, McGillivray said she entered the contest because she had more time. "I'm on mat leave so I think the money will come in handy -- you have to cut back on extras," she said.

She said she and her husband, Kevin Klecker, will use the extra money they save to go on a trip.

Out of thousands of readers who entered the contest, by mailing in game cards completed with coupons clipped from issues of the Sun, 10 qualifiers were selected each week for five weeks to go for the grand prize.

Forty-eight qualifiers walked home with $100 cash and $100 Safeway gift cards, and runner-up Judy Burnett scored the $3,900 prize to get her bills paid for a month.

Diane Wensel, director of marketing at the Sun, said the contest was a fun way to put a smile on someone's face, just in time for the holidays."Hopefully, we can make someone's Christmas a little bit brighter by giving someone a great prize," she said.

Sun publisher Gordon Norrie thanked Enmax Energy and Safeway for their partnership to help make the giveaway possible.

"It's always fun and exciting to be able to give a prize of this magnitude to a reader," he said.