An undated family photo shows Sarah Shourd, one of three U.S. hikers detained in Iran since July 31.

Charley Keyes
CNN Senior Producer

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met privately Thursday with the families of three American hikers held in Iran for more than three months.

Clinton said it was an “emotional” meeting and praised what she called the “fortitude” of the families of Shane Buaer, Sarah Shourd and Josh Fattal, detained along the Iran-Iraq border at the end of July.

“These three young people are obviously not only on the minds of their family members but on the minds of all of us.,” Clinton said at a later picture-taking session with the German Foreign Minister. “It was an emotional meeting and I described to the families everything that we are doing. I was impressed by their strength and fortitude in their commitment. They are determined as we are to see these young people returned home,” Clinton said.

“We’re very grateful for her assistance,” Cindy Hickey, the mother of Shane Bauer, said after meeting Clinton at the State Department. “And we are very grateful to the State Department for everything they’ve done.”

The families are organizing vigils on Sunday in 20 locations in the United States and overseas to mark the 100-th day since the hikers were detained by Iranian authorities along the Iraqi border July 31-st. “It’s been a hundred days, will be on Sunday, since Shane, Josh and Sarah have been detained,” Hickey told CNN. “It’s way too long. We’re anxious to get them home,” Hickey said.

Hickey said the meeting with Clinton was private and offered details. The United States, without diplomatic relations with Iran, has relied on the Swiss to appeal directly for the hikers’ release. A Swiss diplomat has met twice with the Americans in their Iranian prison. The hikers’ families say they will release messages from the three Americans at the “Vigils of Hope” on Sunday thanking people working for their freedom.

Clinton repeated her call to the Iran government to release the hikers on humanitarian grounds. “As a mother my heart went out to all of them . I cannot imagine what it would feel like to know that your child was in prison for now – 100 days with very little contact between
you and them.,” Clinton said.

“I told them that we are doing everything we possibly could to get Shane and Joshua and Sarah home. And we are exploring every angle. Obviously I would hope that the government of Iran would free them on humanitarian and compassionate basis and return them to their families,” Clinton said.