Dan, this is the second year in a row that we chose not to do the "awards." By the time the 15th anniversary rolled around, those "awards" appeared as nothing more than just a popularity contest. If we could come up with some "awards" that were quantifiable, I'd be willing to consider bringing them back. Until then, or until a new BOD sits, I don't see them returning. As well, one of the complaints we received about the 2015 event was that the evening ran too long - and that year we only did the raffle. With a time frame to consider, I'm of the opinion that I'd rather spend that time giving away a LOT more raffle prizes.
Brian, to your question about a discount - no, they didn't, but the ribs, brisket, chicken, and tips were not part of our agreed upon menu and they threw those in for us at no cost. While we expected the meal to happen at 6:30 rather than 7, in retrospect, I believe it worked out fine, as it allowed us time to do the kids raffle and the tribute to Aaron and Don before the meal, instead of prolonging the events after the meal.
Good feedback y'all - keep it coming. It only helps us get better. We listen and react. The ticket tumbler, the 3 chapter EZUPs, and the raffle order - for example - were directly due to the feedback we got from the 2015 event responses.