BOONE, N.C. (AP) -- Gov. Beverly Perdue visited Franklin Graham's relief organization during a trip to the North Carolina mountains to see what Samaritan's Purse is doing around the world.

Perdue received a one-hour tour Monday of the Samaritan's Purse operations in Boone and visited with Graham and hundreds of employees. She was in Boone to speak to several local chambers of commerce.

Perdue spokeswoman Chrissy Pearson said Tuesday the governor told the workers how much the Graham family -- including Franklin's father, the Rev. Billy Graham -- meant to North Carolina residents and Perdue's family personally.

Samaritan's Purse is known for their "Operation Christmas Child" relief effort at Christmas and helping the needy around the world, including those in Haiti following January's earthquake.