Hundreds of people flock to Warwick Long Bay every year for the annual Canada Day celebrations. It’s a free event that brings together Canadians, Bermudians and people from all around the world who happen to be on the island that day.

DJ D’Nice spins tunes by Bryan Adams, Barenaked Ladies, Alanis Morissette, Celine Dion, Shania Twain, Gordon Lightfoot and other top Canadian singers past and present; volunteers serve food and drinks from the cash bars, and KBB provides trash bags and recycling bins to help keep the beach clean.

This year, the Association of Canadians in Bermuda will not be able to pull it all together on June 28, without some help. The event costs about $8,000 to put on and at the moment, there’s not enough in the kitty.

“It’s the anniversary of when Canada became a country in 1867,” said Jennifer Campbell, who chairs the event with Sarah Murphy-Christopher.

“It's a holiday in Canada. There are parades and people celebrate. There's always a great, big [event] that happens in Ottawa, in the capital, where they have live music and huge crowds and people waving their flags.

“It's very similar to the fourth of July, where families and friends get together and have a party and celebrate their country.”

The organisation is hoping that the temporary fundraising licence that it has been granted will provide the financial support needed to hold the 20-year-old tradition in the spirit that has been celebrated in the past.

“It's very dependent on the weather. It's dependent on other events going on. And every year we were putting out more than we were bringing back in terms of revenue and this year, we have less than $2,000 in the bank,” Ms Campbell said.

“We can't put on an event of the scale that we have done in the past with that kind of money. And so we have once again, obtained permission from the Charities Commission to have a temporary fundraising licence.”

Their hope is that help will come from local businesses and community partners, especially those who have Canadian staff or a tie to Canada.

“The more support we have, the bigger and better this event can be ― for the benefit of everyone in our community. As a sponsor, your name or business logo will be prominently featured on all our advertising materials including posters, flyers, and social-media promotions providing excellent exposure and recognition.

“We would truly appreciate your support and partnership in making this event possible. Please let us know if you are interested in coming on board.”

The celebration is a family-friendly event that starts at noon and runs until 6pm and is completely staffed by volunteers.

“All of the products and the ice and the rental of the coolers and the rental of the tables and tents, that's all on us. That’s money that we're putting out,” Ms Campbell said.

Years ago, the organisation was a charity and its members would make and sell food, but membership has dwindled and for the past several years it has been only her and Ms Murphy-Christopher running the show.

Neither had the “financial prowess” to continue it as a charity and dealing with all the permits, and health inspections required for selling food was way too complicated.

“In the past several years, Docksiders has been selling hamburgers and hot dogs and hot food,” Ms Campbell said. “It’s a beach party, a barbecue; so food, drink, Canadian music, sometimes Canadian merchandise ― and just a sea of red and white on the beach. It’s a really good day when it's busy.”

Aside from that, it’s an event that people look forward to, especially the 3,000 or so Canadians who live here.

“It's become a staple in the Bermuda calendar for a lot of people. It's not just Canadians who come to this thing. We have people from everywhere.”

The $1,700 in the bank will only cover the cost of the DJ, the rental of the generator for the DJ and the required parks permit.

“Really, not much else. We could say, ‘Guys, all we have is Canadian music this year’, but we decided to give it another go, to see if anyone would sponsor us, and then we would be able to afford buying the [food and drinks],” she added.

“Our hope is that someone will come forward and say, ‘Here's some money to help you put this party on’. That someone else might understand the importance of it on the Bermuda calendar.”

• The Association of Canadians in Bermuda’s annual beach BBQ is scheduled for June 28 from noon to 6pm. To help or inquire about sponsorship, send an e-mail: canadiansinbermuda@gmail.com