Slifkin and McCreesh Colonel Family

January 17, 2025

Pictured from left to right: Colonel William “Bill” Slifkin, Brent McCreesh, and Colonel Mike McCreesh

When Colonel Aaron “Babe” Slifkin joined the Colonel family in 1986, he could have never dreamed of the legacy he was creating. Over three generations, his years of volunteering and giving back to his community have been continued by his son, Colonel William “Bill” Slifkin, and his grandson-in-law, Colonel Mike McCreesh. Colonel Babe Slifkin gave decades of his life volunteering for youth baseball, sat on many boards in the Fort Lauderdale area, and helped the local community of Galt Ocean Mile flourish. One of his many notable achievements was the creation and implementation of the Galt Ocean Mile bookmobile that lent books to those who were unable to make it to the library as their mobility declined.

His passion for service was passed down to Colonel William “Bill” Slifkin. Impacted by his father’s words – “You need to give back” – Colonel Bill Slifkin began coaching youth baseball in 1961 and continued until 2000.  He began the annual Jimmy Fund Tournament in Bethel, CT, which has raised over $100,000 for cancer research. He was elected to the Connecticut Babe Ruth Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010 and to the New England Babe Ruth Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011, and has served his town government in multiple positions, but it’s the Jimmy Fund contribution that turned out to be prescient.

In 2002, Colonel Bill Slifkin’s grandson, Brent McCreesh, was diagnosed with stage IV neuroblastoma and treated at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, which is supported by the Jimmy Fund. Married to Colonel Bill Slifkin’s daughter, Dana, Colonel Mike McCreesh has a passion for fighting pediatric cancer. Mike is a former Chairman of the Board of Directors for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, the largest private pediatric cancer fundraiser in the world and, along with his wife, are cofounders of the charitable group “TeamBrent,” which has raised close to $11 million dollars to fight pediatric cancer, largely though the St. Baldrick’s Foundation and the Pan-Mass Challenge.

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