Watching Tiana and Taja Koch bound through performances, games and food booths at the Honolulu Zoo, you'd probably be surprised to hear them offering advice on surviving cancer.

For 7-year-old Taja, yesterday's highlight was performing "Stinky Feet" in a pink outfit with her Drill Team Hawaii group. She's friendly, full of energy and fascinated by much of what was going on at the zoo yesterday. She's healthy now but remembers two years of cancer treatment.

"I'm happy to be alive," says the Ma'ema'e Elementary first-grader. For her, the worst part was "being in the hospital and not being with my family." That made her sad, the medicine tasted bitter, she got a lot of shots.

Yesterday, the Hawaii Children's Cancer Foundation presented "Jungle Adventure" a special event that — at $5 for those 7 and older — served a main dish of family fun — scavenger hunt, bounce houses, entertainment — with a side order of childhood cancer awareness.

The foundation provides a variety of services and programs to children with cancer and their families, including financial assistance — from mortgage to groceries — support groups, social events, education and advocacy provided free to families.

Diagnosed with nonHodgkin's lymphoma at 21 months, Taja completed two years of chemotherapy. And the disease rocked her whole family. Mom Nalani Koch, a resource specialist with the state Department of Education, had to take leave to cope with the demands of the disease.

"I had to be in the hospital for almost a whole year with my daughter off and on," she said. "When they're that young, you can't leave them alone."

Sister Tiana, now 11, remembers sleepovers at the hospital with her grandmother and being very focused on getting her sister through the disease.

As they all bustled through the activities yesterday, that struggle seemed far behind.

But Tiana, now in sixth grade at St. Andrew's Priory, said the foundation introduced her family to other families coping with cancer, offered practical support and even planned parties and special events that made them realize they're not alone.

Now, she's helping to teach others that children do get cancer but they can and do survive.

She advises them to be strong: "It's OK, they're probably not going to ... nothing bad is going to happen."

Mom Nalani Koch got involved with the foundation after getting financial help through that difficult first year. She explained that the foundation will provide up to $4,000 during the crucial first year of diagnosis.

And she's helping the foundation respond to other needs. They are finding that years of treatment sometimes leave behind learning challenges: Children have memory issues.

The foundation was formed in 1991 by a group of parents and medical professionals after a statewide assessment showed that there were many childhood cancer needs not being met by any existing nonprofit organization.

Volunteer Tracy Aiwohi said yesterday's event was about raising awareness rather than money. She said she joined the organization as a way to help the young survivors and their families. She recalls the first time she saw young patients during treatment. "I was definitely touched," she said.

Five years later, she's looking for ways to raise more awareness and money for scholarships and other ways to help. On a bright sunny day at the zoo yesterday, more than 500 people had supported the event by noon, more than halfway to last year's count of 1,000.

Aiwohi volunteers with the foundation because she wants to help children who have to deal with cancer and she likes the small nonprofit's emphasis on direct help here in Hawai'i.

Kaela Teho, 7, has been receiving treatment for leukemia since she was 5. Her mom, dietitian Kendis Teho, said the family got some much-needed help after the diagnosis.

Now, their family is looking forward to two upcoming milestones: Kaela's eighth birthday and the completion of her treatment later this month.

The 'Iolani second-grader seems to take everything in stride. Even while going through treatment last year, she came up with an idea to raise money for the foundation. Instead of trick-or-treating at Halloween, she asked for donations from neighbors, then gave them candy.

"She decided she didn't need any new candy," said her mother, who encouraged her but raised no false hopes. "I told her to expect about 75 cents," Kendis Teho recalls.

Kaela got Kaimuki's support in a big way. "I raised $417 last year by myself," she said proudly.

This year, she's trying again and yesterday about a dozen others had volunteered to do the same thing. Those who are interested in getting information about the effort can e-mail Kendis Teho at tehos@yahoo.com.

Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com.