To the suprise of the new IDF recruits, Ezer Mizion's blood sample collection station - a stop in the enlistment process at the Meitav military base -six celebrities serving in the IDF popped in for a visit.

John Tumerkin, Lee Biran, Guy Lubelchik, Amit Farkas, Chen Aharoni and Li'el Kolt arrived at the Ezer Mizion station with the objective of encouraging recruits to join the Bone Marrow Registry on the day of their enlistment. "I believe that everyone has to join the Registry. The process is so fast and simple, yet so significant in saving lives," Corporal Tumerkin asserted.

"On the day of my enlistment, I was afraid at first of the blood test, and I passed right at the testing station. But after a few minutes, I retraced my steps and joined the Donor Registry," related Corporal Chen Aharoni, adding: "I believe that as soldiers, our job is to save life, not only at war, but even as one human being to another."

Dr. Bracha Zisser could not help but be impressed by the celebrities' efforts: "I had the pleasure to personally meet a group of highly motivated, humane and intelligent young people, who are familiar with the subject of stem cell transplants and have gotten actively involved in it. I hope that - with their assistance and G-d's help - we will be able to have an even stronger influence on the recruits, on our way our goal of saving more lives."

The celebrities who came to visit and had not yet joined, took the opportunity to join the Registry. After giving a small blood sample, Corporal Amit Farkas shared her feelings: "As a natural 'scaredy-cat', I was pleasantly surprised by the quick process. I'm sorry that I didn't do it earlier! I just hope that I will be found a match for a patient somewhere and will have the chance to donate my stem cells!"

Her feelings were echoed by Private Li'el Kolt: "We have a very important profession - to encourage people and raise their spirits. But if we have an opportunity to save lives, that makes our role even greater", she explained, and concluded with a smile - "If I have the privilege of saving someone, I will even sing for him!"

In 2005, Ezer Mizion began its partnership with IDF, opening up a blood collection station at the army base that all recruits pass through on their enlistment day. They are invited to join the Bone Marrow Registry as part of their induction process.

Over 100,000 IDF recruits have joined the registry so far, and among them were found many stem cell matches which facilitated dozens of lifesaving transplants. It is important to point out that these recruits are the ideal donors, since they are young and healthy. Among the soldiers, on the average, four times as many matching donors are found as in the general population, partly because they belong to the widest range of Jewish ethnic backgrounds.