This Monday, seven Harvard seniors gave up on a dream.

Team Zebra had schemed to transport two live zebras to Harvard Square by midnight on Oct. 17 in order to raise money for natural disaster survivors. But Monday marked the eighth and final day of Team Z’s altruistic attempt at animal acquisition.

Should have been easy, right?

Apparently not. Nearly 200 (192) hours after the start of the challenge, the frustrated team members had zero zebras to show for their efforts and had even admitted defeat on their official blog.

Had the team succeeded, their anonymous sponsor—“The Contender”—who members say would have purchased a boat for the members and their striped friends. Following a cruise to raise money for hurricane and earthquake victims, the boat would have been sold, with proceeds going to The Contender, who assured Team Zebra that half would be donated to charity, members told The Crimson last week.

The Contender, like all credible venture capitalists, set the price of challenge defeat in pies: specifically, one blueberry and one apple. Although Team Zebra co-Principal Neeraj “Richie” Banerji ’06 confesses, “I’ve never baked anything in my life, and I don’t think Teddy [Theodore B. Bressman ’06, Team Zebra co-Principal] has either,” the two prepared to fire up the ovens as midnight Monday loomed.

Technically, striped success eluded Team Zebra, but they insist that fun was had by all. And that’s what matters—fun, apparently, and pies.