A highlight of the annual Gun Rights Policy Conference is the awards luncheon, during which hard work, and in some cases, lifetimes of achievement that may go unrecognized by most people are brought into the public spotlight.
Steven Gutowski (left), a writer at the Washington Free Beacon, was presented with the SAF Journalist of the Year for 2016 award by founder Alan Gottlieb.
This year’s awards were handed out by Alan Gottlieb, acting in his capacity as executive vice president of the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and then as chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA).
One notable recipient was unable to attend. Historian Clayton Cramer was honored as the SAF Scholar of the Year for his writing and research on Second Amendment issues.
SAF also honored Steven Gutowski, a writer at the Washington Free Beacon, as its Journalist of the Year for 2016.
Ted Bromund, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, was recognized for his efforts with the SAF Global Leadership Award.
There were ten recipients of SAF’s Defender of Liberty Awards, including Rick Ector, proprietor at Rick’s Firearms Academy of Detroit; Richard Nascak, founder and co-executive director of Florida Carry; Eric Friday, an attorney who has represented SAF and Florida Carry; Liston Matthews, writer at the Knox Gun Guy; Jake McGuigan with the National Shooting Sports Foundation; James Baranowski, manager of External/International affairs for the National Rifle Association; John Cushman, NRA director and president of the Sportsmen’s Association for Firearms Education in New York; George Uchaykin, president of the Ukrainian Gun Owners Association; attorney Joseph Greenlee, and Cheryl Todd, co-host of Gun Freedom Radio.
The first recipient of the newly-created Ray Carter Blogger of the Year award, named in memory of SAF staffer and lifelong activist and blogger Ray Carter, who passed away in May 2016, was Paul Lathrop, operator of the Polite Society podcast.
SAF’s Defender of the Constitution award went to Maj. Gen. (Ret) Allen Youngman, executive director of the Defense Small Arms advisory committee.
Rounding out the SAF awards was the Distinguished Service Award recipient, Dr. Timothy Wheeler, founder of Doctors for Responsible Gun Ownership.
Several CCRKBA awards were also presented by Gottlieb during the luncheon. They included an award for the Grassroots Organization of the Year, to Florida Carry, Inc.
Californian Nicole Stallard with the Pink Pistols earned the Grassroots Activist of the Year award.
Once again, the CCRKBA Affiliate of the Year award went to the Illinois State Rifle Association, which has collected several of these awards consecutively for its hard work “in enemy territory” in Illinois.
CCRKBA’s Gun Rights Defender of the Year award winner was Breitbart’s AWR Hawkins.
Florida State Rep. Neil Combee was honored with CCRKBA’s Gun Rights Legislator of the Year award.
Illinois attorney David Sigale took home CCRKBA’s Bill of Rights award.
Last, and certainly not least, the CCRKBA Lifetime Achievement Award went to former NRA President David Keene, who is now opinion page editor for the Washington Times.
