June 15, 2007
For immediate release

Press Contacts: Lauren Kuschner-Grossman, 212.573.0343, lauren.kuschner@rodale.com
Shira Berk, 917.846.0257,shira_berk@yahoo.com
Vincent DiCaro, 240-912-1270, vdicaro@fatherhood.org

BEST LIFE MAGAZINE, THE NATIONAL FATHERHOOD INITIATIVE AND MSN ANNOUNCE THE WINNER OF THE FIRST-EVER HERO DAD CONTEST  

CONNECTICUT-BASED FATHER OF THREE, MIKE MCCREESH, SELECTED AS HERO DAD 2007  

Grand Prize Includes Family Vacation at the Exclusive Greenbrier Resort

June 15, 2007 (New York, NY) -- In honor of Father’s Day, Best Life magazine, along with National Fatherhood Initiative (NFI) and MSN, joined forces to create the first-ever Hero Dad contest—a nationwide search to find extraordinary dads and the families they inspire.

For the past three months, Best Life magazine and its partners combed the nation to find dads who were making a difference--at home, at work, and within their communities. Readers were asked to submit stories highlighting personal journeys, defining moments, and significant obstacles. More than 300 Hero Dad submissions were received reflecting tales of strength, commitment, and determination. Entries depicted a wide array of topical and compelling stories including early childhood diseases, custody laws, adoption, and humanitarian efforts.

“We were searching for that one story that our readers could identify with,” says Stephen Perrine, editor-in-chief, Best Life magazine. “ We wanted to honor a man whose story was filled with passion and hope and demonstrated the underlying challenges of being a father in today’s society.”

Southport, Connecticut-based father of three, Mike McCreesh, was chosen as Best Life’s first-ever Hero Dad. In 2004, Mike, a COO at Goldman Sachs, and his wife Dana, who was pregnant at the time with their third child, received news that their two-year old son Brent was suffering from Neuroblastoma, stage IV, a rare disease that affects 600 children nationwide each year. At the tender age of two, Brent had to endure six rounds of chemotherapy, two stem cell transplants, three weeks of radiation, twelve surgeries, and countless blood transfusions and hospital stays. Mike’s tenacity to save Brent while continuing to focus on his pregnant wife, his four-year-old daughter Madison, and his demanding career challenged Best Life’s editorial team and NFI to further examine his story.

“Mike’s courageous story, submitted by his wife Dana, truly stuck a cord with our editorial team,” says Perrine. “He challenged himself -- and his community -- to get involved, raise awareness and help in the fight against childhood cancer. Not only for his own child but also for the hundreds of other children who are suffering from this devastating disease.”

In 2005, Mike McCreesh joined forces with the St. Baldrick’s Foundation and the PanMass Challenge to create TeamBrent. St. Baldrick's, an international foundation, encourages adults and kids to shave their heads in exchange for charitable donations. TeamBrent has been the #1 team internationally for the past two years, and to date has shaved more than 500 heads and raised nearly $750,000 for childhood cancer research and awareness. The PanMass Challenge, the nation’s original fundraising bike-a-thon also supports TeamBrent and TeamBrentWheels, having raised $400,000 to date. Ninety-nine cents of every dollar raised during the PanMass Challenge goes directly towards Neuroblastoma research funding for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Children’s Hospital Boston .

This summer, TeamBrentWheels’ 30 riders will travel 192 miles over the course of two days, throughout 46 Massachusetts towns in an effort to raise more than $300,000. In April 2007, Mike McCreesh also completed the Boston Marathon in less than four hours and raised $13,300 for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Children’s Hospital Boston.

Since its inception, TeamBrent has raised more than 1.2 million dollars in the fight against childhood cancer. Brent is currently cancer free after 15 months of treatment.

“I am both honored and humbled to be selected as Best Life’s first-ever Hero Dad,” says McCreesh. “Our lives changed dramatically when Brent was diagnosed, but at the same time it gave us a certain perspective on life. My only hope is that this honor will further raise awareness and attention for other families going through a similar situation.  They are not alone.”

Roland C. Warren, president of the National Fatherhood Initiative, said, “NFI is honored, with Best Life magazine and MSN, to present the Hero Dad award to Mike McCreesh. He exemplifies what it means to be an involved, responsible, and committed father – one of America’s true heroes. With 24 million children in America living in father-absent homes, the Hero Dad campaign is a great way for our nation to celebrate Father’s Day and to make a statement about the unique and irreplaceable role that fathers play in their children’s lives.”

Mike McCreesh and his family will be featured in Best Life’s “My Cause” section in the October issue and will receive a family vacation at the exclusive Greenbrier resort. Their story will also be seen on MSN and NFI’s website www.fatherhood.org.

About Best Life:

Best Life is the fastest -growing men’s magazine in the country and is the very first men’s magazine to provide topical and compelling editorial that addresses family, marriage and fatherhood.  With the tag line “What Matters to Men,” Best Life targets the growing segment of 35+ accomplished and socially responsible men, offering them hands-on advice on finance, fatherhood, health, and relationships, as well as the latest cultural news, style trends, and product reviews.  Best Life reaches more than 2 million men each month.

About The National Fatherhood Initiative:

The premier fatherhood renewal organization in the country, National Fatherhood Initiative (NFI) works in every sector and at every level of society to engage fathers in the lives of their children.  NFI's national public service advertising campaign promoting fatherhood has generated television, radio, print, Internet, and outdoor advertising valued at over $487 million.  Through its resource center, FatherSOURCE, NFI offers a wide range of innovative resources to assist fathers and organizations interested in reaching and supporting fathers.