Making the city a better place to play isn’t all fun and games.

Frances Mennone of the Great Miami Rowing Club, and Tammy and Jason Snyder, organizers of Hamilton’s new fall festival, Operation Pumpkin, know that it’s hard work, but say it’s worth every ounce of their effort.

All three are being honored today by the Hamilton Vision Commission as winners in the 10th annual Vision Awards’ “play” category, dedicated to those making an impact on Hamilton by efforts to improve it “through the arts, entertainment, recreation, events or activities,” according to Nancy Wiley, the commission’s chair.

Mennone, 36, has served as executive director of GMRC since its inception in 2007. She also serves as president of the Midwest Junior Rowing Association, a board member of Ohio’s Great Corridor Association, an action team member of Cincinnati’s Green Umbrella, and a member of Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education’s Dayton Water Round Table.

This month, she started a 3-year term as the Midwest region director for USRowing, the national governing body for the sport.

Mennone, who grew up on a Butler County farm and moved back to Ohio from Chicago after starting a rowing club there, said she is interested in helping the area grow in ways that will attract people to the city and prevent the “brain drain” that occurs when people leave.

“That’s what organizations like Great Miami Rowing Center can do, is create a sense of place and a place to play for people who may get a job offer here versus a job offer in Topeka, Kansas,” she said. “People can choose to live anywhere. I want people to choose to live in this area.”

She said she looks forward to expanding its footprint to include more river-based activities, such as canoeing, kayaking and paddling.

Wiley said Mennone fits perfectly in the Place to Play category and has served as “a wonderful leader” for putting the river to good use.

“All these river sports are fun things and we’ve been trying to draw attention to the river for the past 10 to 12 years,” Wiley said. “If it weren’t for her, there would be no rowing club.”

The Snyders organized Operation Pumpkin last year to bring awareness to the city and its redevelopment efforts.

Jason Snyder, 35, who moved to the area from northeastern Ohio in 2008 to work as the superintendent on the Historic Mercantile Lofts project, happens to have a green thumb when it comes to growing the oversized gourds.

Snyder proposed the idea for the event during a conversation with lifelong Hamiltonians, who clued him in to Operation Pumpkin’s past as a 1-day Halloween costume event.

“We are not much at all like that event, but it seemed like a perfect fit to move forward with that name,” Snyder said.

Wiley credits the Snyders for “thinking outside the box” when it comes to organizing and planning the fall event.

“I love that these newcomers delved into our history and found out about Operation Pumpkin (being held) back in the ’50s and ’60s and honored (Operation Pumpkin founder) Jim Grimm, who was a wonderful teacher and a caring individual,” she said. “They’ve brought so much energy and great ideas.”

Being named a Vision Awards winner is a “great honor,” Tammy Snyder said.

“The whole idea behind the festival was to bring something fun to town,” she said. “The fact that we’re being recognized above and beyond that great feeling of just having a successful event is fantastic.”