Louisa Roof holds up a rubber duck, like the one that won her dinner anywhere in the world compliments of the Ayer, Harvard, Shirley Rotary Club. Roof won the grand prize in the annual Ducky Wucky race on the Nashua River. (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)

Who could imagine that a trip to Devens to do some hazardous waste recycling would turn into a fantastic getaway to a dream destination? Certainly not Woodside Road resident Louisa Roof.

“I was waiting in a very long line of cars at Devens on hazardous waste recycling day when I had a knock on my window,” she told the Press this week. “It was someone selling ducks for the Ducky Wucky race.”

Roof bought five ducks and didn’t give them a second thought, or even names. When she received a call from Rotary Club member Jim Pinard telling her she won the grand prize, she couldn’t believe her ears. The grand prize includes airfare, two nights lodging, and dinner for two anywhere in the world. Roof’s lucky ducky was one of 5,000 to float down the Nashua River from its starting post on Still River Road.

Roof has faithfully participated in the fundraiser for the Ayer Rotary Club for the last 10 years. All the proceeds from the race support, among other things, charities, high school scholarships, and youth programs in Ayer, Harvard, Shirley, and Devens.

Asked where she was going to dine, Louisa replied, “I’m going to wait a few months. I want to savor the anticipation. Also, I keep changing my mind. Yesterday it was the Seychelles Islands and today it’s Cambodia. Who knows where I might want to go tomorrow. I would also like to save some money so that my husband and I can extend the trip for longer than the two days I won.”