Comedian, cancer survivor will entertain

The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce hopes to bring some inspiration to members and the public with its health care luncheon Thursday at the Savannah Rapids Pavilion.

Scott Burton, a comedian, national champion juggler and cancer survivor, is the featured speaker and will offer his insights on battling cancer and the medical profession.

"He's sort of a Lance Armstrong story if you will," said Gordon Renshaw, the executive director of the chamber. "(He is) someone who was a rapidly rising star ... when you read about what this guy has got talent-wise, it's incredible."

Before his battle with cancer, Burton appeared with comedians Jay Leno and Louie Anderson, according to his Web site.

Burton was diagnosed with late stage osteosarcoma, or bone cancer, in 1992 and survived nearly a year of intensive chemotherapy, according to his Web site.

Since beating cancer, Burton hit the convention circuit, speaking before many national companies and medical conventions.

He also is the author of A Life in the Balance, which is a survivor's guide to cancer that deals with maintaining one's spirit during trying times.

"(Here is) someone who is very funny, very entertaining, but then he was diagnosed with cancer," Renshaw said. "He had to go though some very significant cancer treatments and it affected him in a lot of serious ways. He can identify with all that and he shares from the heart what he learned."

Though she suspects that Burton's talk will touch many hearts, Pat Goodwin, who heads the business development committee of the chamber that invited Burton to speak, said the luncheon will include plenty of fun as well.

"Expect some high energy," Goodwin said. "He is not just addressing a disease. He is not just going to be sharing about a disease. He's going to be sharing about life and how we should be tackling issues and things that occur in our lives."

The health care luncheon is an offshoot of the chamber's power luncheon series, which kicked off last June with Chick-fil-A founder and CEO Truett Cathy, Renshaw said.

Renshaw said that the health care luncheon is a service to one of the fastest growing segments of chamber membership, the health care sector.

"He doesn't come with the Truett Cathy name tag, but he fits a facet of our population that's very important and one that's growing," Renshaw said.

Goodwin, who works as a business director for the Medical College of Georgia, said she found out about Burton while searching for a speaker for another event. When nurses and other co-workers at MCG read Burton's biography, and when she heard first-hand from others who had seen Burton in person, she knew he would be a perfect fit for the luncheon.

The luncheon is open to the public and will begin at 11:30 a.m. Registration begins at 11 a.m. and tickets are $20.